Creamy Parmesan One Pot Chicken and Rice

Last year I was in a fb group for fall meal planning.  Well, we didn't do a good job with planning meals, but we did share some recipes.  I pinned the ones shared and now the group has disappeared so I can't be sure the pinned recipe I found when I went hunting this fall is one and the same.  But all turned out well.  This recipe came out excellent!  The boyfriend thought it could have used some mushrooms or some other veggies (I think sliced fresh mushrooms, not canned, could be added at the same time as the chicken, but I'm not sure when I would add something like broccoli).  I thought the taste was fantastic, but I'm sure it wouldn't be affected by the addition of at least the mushrooms.  And it's one pot!  That's so awesome!  Also, just a quick note, my store (as per usual when I want something specific) did not have regular boneless skinless chicken breasts, so I used tenders - which made the cutting into one inch pieces really speedy.

Ingredients

• 1.5 Pounds Chicken Breasts, Cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Large onion, Diced
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced (3 Teaspoons)
• 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup long grain white rice
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Parsley for serving, Optional

Instructions

• Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to soften.
• Add the diced chicken to the pan along with the Italian seasoning, pepper, and salt.
• Cook and stir for 5 minutes until chicken is golden on all sides.
• Add the garlic and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the chicken broth and rice to the pan and stir.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for 17-20 minutes, until rice is completely tender.
• Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan.  Serve immediately topped with parsley if desired.

Oh So Good Chicken (chicken rice casserole with salsa and sour cream)

My cousin mentioned a few weeks ago (on facebook) that she was planning to make this dish for dinner that night.  I asked and she found the recipe for me and I'm so glad she did.  It's a fairly easy dish to throw together and very tasty!  I used regular (as in not minute) rice as that's what I had in the cupboard.  I used an 8 oz package of pre-sliced mushrooms (which yields slightly more than the two cups the recipe calls for, but I like mushrooms), and two 4.5 oz cans of chicken.  Yes, cooking the chicken myself would have probably given it a slightly better flavor, but with the sour cream, salsa, and cheese, it wasn't that noticeable (and certainly easier since I didn't have any leftover chicken on hand).  I also guessed at the 4 oz of cheese, just used about half (well, a little bit more than half) of the package.  The recipe doesn't state (and none of the comments I looked at really said) the size of the casserole dish.  I ended up using a big mixing bowl to get everything evenly incorporated, but my square baking dish (approximately 8x8, 2 quart).  One comment did mention adding some chips (to make it more presentable, which I don't think is necessary - it looks fine the way it is!) but which I think would be tasty.  Others also mentioned adding black beans, black olives, corn, green onions, and hot sauce - which I think would make for a very different dish!  Alas, I've gotten out of the habit of blogging recipes, so I completely forgot to get a picture!  (edited 8-18-13 to add photo - recipe shown doubled, in a 13x9 dish).

INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sour cream
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
2 cups cooked white rice
8 ounces boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute mushrooms.
2. Combine mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, salsa, rice, and chicken. Place in a greased casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes.

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews

I served the rice salad with a BLT (and C!) with a tomato from the garden!

This recipe is a delicious side dish, but you could easily make it into a main dish by adding some chicken or shrimp.

I couldn't find wild rice, so I made it with brown rice.  One thing to note:  you have to chill it for two hours before eating it -- I didn't notice that and had to save it for the next day!

This recipe comes from the July 29, 2012 issue of Parade magazine.  It is author Patricia Cornwell's contribution to the "Sunday Dinner" column.  She serves it with hamburgers and hot dogs.

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews

1 cup uncooked wild rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped red or green bell pepper
3/4 cups cashews, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Asian sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of freshly ground pepper

1.  In a strainer, rince wild rice under cool running water. Drain well.

2.  In a 3 quart saucepan, bring rice and broth to a boil over high heat.

3.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 to 50 minutes or until rice is tender.  Drain excess liquid and set rice aside.

4.  In a medium skillet, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender.

5.  Add cashews and green onions.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until nuts begin to brown.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, stir wild rice with bell pepper mixture.

6.  For dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake well.  (I just whisked it in a bowl)  Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.