Chicken & Rice Tastes So Nice

We eat a lot of chicken.  So, I'm always looking for new ways to cook it.  In fact, if you have any interesting chicken recipes you'd like to share, please do.  I recently hit a sale where chicken breasts were $1.00 per pound, so I stocked up!  Only problem is finding something different to do with them.

We grow a lot of rice down here in Cajun Country.  It's a staple in our house.  It's cheap and it's filling; a great way to stretch a meal.  But the main reason I love it is because it's so versatile.  It's a blank slate.  You can serve it plain or with gravy.  You can use it in Chinese cooking, Cajun cooking, Italian, Mexican, etc.

My Mother-in-law makes a chicken & rice dish that is so delicious.  My husband loves it.  So, I decided to try and make a version myself.  And I have to say, it was a winner.  My son (the pickiest eater on the planet) had three helpings!  Three!  That's unprecedented in our house.  Here's how I did it:

SO NICE CHICKEN & RICE

1 TBS oil
1 TBS butter
6 small chicken breast halves (boneless, skinless) or 4 larger ones
salt/pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 green onion, sliced
2 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth + 3/4 cup water

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel.  Season on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat a large skillet (with a tight fitting lid) on medium-high heat.  Add oil and butter.  Brown chicken on both sides.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add onion, celery, carrot and green onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until softened.  Add rice and toast up for a few minutes, stirring.  Season rice with a bit of salt and pepper.  Add broth and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add chicken back to skillet.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.

This makes a ton of food!  And the leftovers are even better.  You can even reheat just the left over rice and use it as a side dish later in the week.
Plus, you can use this recipe as a starting point and add anything you like.  Tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, black beans, etc.  You can change the flavor profile by adding different seasonings (Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, etc.)  But plain old chicken & rice was pretty good!

So, if you are looking for a new way to make chicken, try this Chicken & Rice...it tastes so nice!