I had some leftover chicken in the refrigerator that needed using up today. My mom always said I was a Master at creating something delicious out of nothing. I don't know if she was right about that or not, but I do love taking what I have and making something tasty with it.
A couple of years ago I discovered how easy it was to bake rice in the oven. You use basically the same amounts of rice and water/liquid/stock that you would use on top of the stove, except you bake it in the oven instead of a saucepan.
It does take quite a bit longer, but I find it takes on a lovely nutty flavor that we both enjoy very much. Almost like an oven baked rice pilaf. I love rice pilaf.
Today I added the leftover chicken, chopped and some cheese along with some seasoning and garlic powder, for a lovely cheesy garlic bread flavor . . .
Its all very simple . . . just mix the chicken, rice, some chicken stock, grated cheddar and your seasonings together, cover and bake.
Its takes thirty five to forty minutes. While its baking you can get on with making a salad, or cooking some vegetables to serve on the side.
Today I cooked baby English peas and some honey/butter/nutmeg glazed carrots . . . so good.
Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid in the dish, you scatter cheesy buttered cracker crumbs over top and return the casserole to the oven just until golden brown.
The amounts given serve two generously, or at least us two anyways. You might have a heartier appetite, in which case it would be adequate for two people.
Nutty, cheesy and delicious. You can vary the amount of garlic powder you use. I wouldn't use any more than 1/4 tsp but you could certainly use less.
If you have a family to feed, you could certainly also double the ingredients . . .
I like to use a well flavoured strong cheddar cheese for this. It will give you a lovely flavor boost without having to use too much.
Todd adores Cheddar cheese. One of his largest disappointments when we holidayed in France was that he could not find any Cheddar cheese there . . .
Never mind that there was an abundance of a whole variety of other cheeses . . . if there's no Cheddar in the house, there's no cheese at all . . .
He is so, so, so British, but then again, that is one of the things I love about him . . . that and our mutual love of Cheddar!
Yield: 2
Author: Marie Rayner
Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Rice Bake
A simple and delicious dinner that basically cooks itself. Serve with salads or a variety of vegetables on the side. Sized for two but easily doubled.ingredients:
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 30g cracker crumbs (1/4 cup)
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 105g uncooked long grain rice (1.2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp each, pepper and garlic powder
- 295ml chicken stock (1 1/4 cups)
- 120g strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup) divided
- chopped parsley to garnish, optional
instructions:
How to cook Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Rice Bake
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark5. Butter a 1 liter (1 QT) baking dish. Set aside.
- Mix together the melted butter and cracker crumbs well. Stir in 30g (1/4 cup) of the cheese. Set aside.
- Mix the rice, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chicken broth together in a bowl. stir in the remainder of the cheese and then pour the whole lot into the buttered baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the oven, uncover and give it a stir. Sprinkle the crumb/cheese mixture evenly over top and return to the oven. Bake for a further five minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.
I think if you wanted to you could add some thawed chopped frozen broccoli to this as well, which would be quite nice. We just had it as is and were quite happy with it.
Up Tomorrow: Pitcaithly Bannock (in honor of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight)
