Chicken and Rice (New and Improved!)

By Kath Dedon

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Chicken and Rice…. (Again?)…. I know…. I’ve already posted Skillet Chicken with Rice and Arroz con Pollo, but this is a slightly different take on the classic combination, and a very tasty one at that.

I found the recipe in the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light and I gave it a try last weekend. We both really liked it, but I felt the recipe needed a bit of “tweaking”. The rice was a bit too dry; it was almost crunchy.

When I made it again last night I increased the chicken broth, and that did the trick! The rice was cooked perfectly.

So here is my New and Improved Chicken and Rice. It’s now my favorite version! At least until the next one comes around.

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Chicken and Rice

(Adapted from a recipe in the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light)

(print the recipe)

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Serves 2

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The original recipe made 4 servings, but I scaled it down to serve 2. Simply double the ingredients for 4 servings, but brown the chicken in 2 batches. They won’t brown well if the pan is too crowded. Use a 13 x 9-inch baking dish for 4 servings.

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1 tablespoon olive oil

3 or 4 bone-in chicken thighs , skinned (grab the skin with a paper towel to easily pull it off)

Salt

Pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 carrot, thinly sliced

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup long-grain white rice

Cooking spray

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons whipping cream

About 3 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.

2. Prepare the baking dish. Spray a 7 x 11-inch (or 8 x 8-inch) baking pan with the cooking spray and set aside.

3. Have the ingredients “mise en place” (chef-speak for “assembled and ready to go”).

Onions, mushrooms, chicken broth, rice, carrots, and garlic

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4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Salt and pepper the chicken and add it to the pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side and remove the chicken from the pan.

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6. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrot to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.

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7. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir well, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

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9. Add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

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10. Put the rice mixture in the prepared baking dish.

11. Add the chicken broth and the whipping cream and stir until well-blended.

12. Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture.

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13. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken.

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14. Bake for 45 minutes.