Monday, October 19, 2015

One dish- Chicken, Broccoli, Rice bake


Looks fancy and fabulous doesn't it? However- this one is gonna go in my First time Fail Folder. Don't get me wrong, it was fine to eat- but like most cooks I'm my own worst critic. I'm going to help you learn from my mistakes so that your meal WILL turn out perfectly! The best way to ensure that this dish turns out right would be to simply cook everything separate and then plate it, but that's boring and kinda takes away from the whole- "easy one dish" idea. My problem was that the rice wasn't done, the chicken was perfect, and the broccoli was starting to over cook... So my thinking is do it in steps. Start baking the rice first, then after a time add the chicken, and then after a little more time add the broccoli. Still a one dish meal, but more of a cooking relay race. So here we go!

( if you want the original recipe see One dish chicken and rice bake) I wish I had read the comments first where they said to pre-bake the rice before adding the chicken!

Ingredients:
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or chicken, celery, or even broccoli cheese! they all would work)
- 1 cup water or chicken broth (I used chicken broth b/c I like the flavor it gives the rice)
- 3/4 cup uncooked rice (if using brown rice see notes about longer cooking time)
- salt/pepper/ other seasonings to taste. (I used Penzey's Ruth Ann's- yes I wasn't kidding when I say I use it on everything!)
- 1/2 head broccoli chopped into florets.  (see picture)

The original recipe states to mix soup, water/broth, and rice together in dish. Then season chicken and arrange on top of rice/soup mixture (this is what I did), and then my own little flair- I arranged the broccoli in a border like so....



Next time- and this is what I suggest you do- I will pre-bake the rice ( about 20 minutes covered) and then add the seasoned chicken. Note: If you choose to do this, either reserve or make extra soup/broth mix to pour in with the chicken in case the rice soaks it all up. Recover and bake 30-40 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temp of 165 degrees. Add the broccoli in about half way through the chicken baking (so about 15 minutes later).


This is what it looked like when it came out. I should have known the rice wasn't ready because of the large amount of liquid left, but I was afraid the chicken would dry out and the broccoli would be over cooked. Lessons learned I guess!!! The flavors were wonderful- the chicken was just right as was the broccoli. The rice wasn't terrible- it was just a little on the "al dente" side if you know what I mean. However- this is a great dish and with some alterations I will be making it again! Try serving with a piece of crusty garlic french bread for an extra addition. Plate and enjoy!!!


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