Cheddar Chicken and Rice Skillet

1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

4 chicken breast halves, cut into strips OR one large (13 oz) can chicken

2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, or one can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions (optional)

Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Stir in rice, broth, and broccoli.  Bring to boil; cover.  Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.  Let stand covered, 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Add tomatoes, cheese, and onions if desired.  Stir until blended.

Tips and Thoughts:
The brown rice takes a little longer to cook than instant white rice, so delay adding the broccoli by a few minutes to avoid having it be overdone.  We liked this with canned chicken; it made a more even distribution of the chicken through the dish. 

This is a great, fast, one-pan meal.  Excellent for a weeknight dinner.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth, divided

6 Ritz crackers, finely crushed

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread

Cook rice as directed on package, using 1 1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water

Meanwhile mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese on plate or in shallow bowl.  Rinse chicken with cold water; shake off excess water.  Dip chicken in cracker mixture, turning to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken; cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.  Place chicken on serving plate.  Set aside; keep warm.  Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and cream cheese spread to same skillet.  Cook on medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil, stirring constantly.  Simmer 3 minutes or until sauce thickens.  Spoon sauce over chicken.  Serve rice with chicken.

Thoughts and Tips:

I tried to just spray the cooking pan with cooking spray.  All the crusting came off the chicken.  So definitely use the oil and don't cook the chicken on too high heat at first so that the crusting will cook onto the surface of the chicken instead of onto the pan!

Asparagus or broccoli go well with this.

The crusting keeps the chicken lovely and tender.  I would guess you could bake this as well, but you wouldn't get the same crispy outside that you get from cooking in oil.

Spanish Rice

1 package Mexican or Spanish Rice

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can corn, drained

1 1/2 cups water

1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar or Cojack cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese in microwave safe casserole dish.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Stir.  Add another 1/4 cup water if it is dry.  Add cheese.  Microwave for an additional 6 minutes.  If rice is not completely cooked, heat for another 1-2 minutes as needed.

Tips and Thoughts:
We like Knorr's Spanish Rice for this dish. 
If you need a larger batch, double everything except the corn and cook in a skillet on the stovetop.

This started as a "what do I have to throw together for dinner" meal and has turned into a family favorite.  It is a quick and easy, one pot meal.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

This is a family favorite. 

1 large can chicken

2 cups water

2 cups instant rice

1 jar of your favorite salsa

3/4 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Empty chicken into large pan.  Add water.  Heat to boiling.  Add rice; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in salsa (you may not need full jar); heat until desired thickness.  Stir in cheese and heat until melted.

Serve with tortilla chips or put in tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and extra cheese.

You can also use smoked sausage instead of the chicken. 

Tips and Thoughts:
For kids who don't like spicy food, you can use a milder salsa or pull some of the rice out before adding the salsa for them to eat plain.
You can use either white or brown instant rice or a mix.
Canned chicken is a great ingredient for a lot of recipes.  It saves cutting and cooking chicken.  The texture is a little different (more like canned tuna) and it crumbles more, so think about whether you want that texture before substituting in other recipes. 

Chicken and Sausage Paella

Originally from Family Fun Magazine

In it's original form, the directions for this recipe were a complete failure.  What I'm posting here is the revised version that actually allows the rice to cook.  The original recipe called for putting the whole thing in the oven; after more than an hour, the rice was still completely hard.

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

Salt and pepper

16 oz sausage (chorizo or kielbasa) cut into half-moon slices

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups medium-grain rice

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup seeded and chopped tomato OR 1 can diced tomato, drained

4 cups chicken stock OR two cans chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas, opt.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken, sausage, onion, pepper and garlic to skillet.  Cook 5-6 minutes until vegetables are softened and chicken is almost cooked through.  Add the rice, cumin, and salt.  Stir to coat rice.  Pour chicken broth over top and add tomatoes.  Stir gently.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked.  Add peas and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Thoughts and Tips:

Kielbasa is a little milder than chorizo; either works fine in this recipe.

This was delicious!  My husband said he would like it just as well without the chicken.  The blend of flavors was excellent.