Bless Her Heart

Another “Chicken and…” recipe that Southerners love is Chicken and Rice.

Chicken and Rice is just what it sounds like: chicken and rice.

But this Chicken and Rice recipe is not only a recipe that contains chicken and rice.

It’s also a recipe for the ultimate comfort food – a delicious packed casserole meal made with juicy chicken breasts and tender rice smothered in a deliciously creamy sauce.

Chicken and Rice is a comfort food that is…

• Delicious: Chicken and rice is a creamy and totally satisfying meal that has become a family favorite.
• Easy: Chicken and Rice is a simple meal that is easy to make
• Quick: This dish takes less than ten minutes to prepare…and then about an hour to bake
• Requires little clean-up effort after dinner: In fact, the entire dish is made directly in the baking dish. And if you use a disposable baking pan, you won’t have to wash a single bowl or pan after dinner
• Uses only wholesome, “real” ingredients…no canned or boxed ingredients with words that you cannot pronounce

So why settle for a “dump cake” when you can have an entire “dump meal instead?

Butter: Southern women typically just stick an entire stick of butter on top of the casserole. Our goal is not have to wash many dishes after dinner, remember?

Chicken: Once again, shredded rotisserie chicken can be your best friend. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are also a great choice. Chicken breasts will end up dry.

Chicken Broth: vegetable broth can also be used.

Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or whole milk makes the casserole even more creamy.

Rice: This is a recipe for Chicken and Rice. Obviously you’re gonna have to have rice. But what kind of rice?

Instant white rice may be cheap and available at any grocery store, but not a good option here. Instant rice will overcook in this casserole.

Brown rice will not work either because it takes longer to cook.

Instead use a long-grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati rice.

Both of these type of high-quality rice absorb more liquid than rices simply marked as “long grain white rice”…meaning that you will probably end up with a tastier dish.

Soup: Many “old-fashioned” recipes call for soup…in particular, “cream of _____” soups…to add rich flavor and creamy texture. Pretty much any kind of “cream of _____” soup – chicken, celery, mushroom – will work here.

You could also use chicken broth if you’re wary of almost everything in the grocery store except individually-wrapped Oreos.

Seasonings: Seasoning is basically a matter of personal preference, but I typically use salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in everything.

Veggies: Casseroles like this one can be made even better by adding vegetables, but be aware that this will change the texture of the dish.

• 6Tbsp melted butter
• 2Tbsp flour
• 2tsp Italian seasoning
• 1tsp salt
• ½tsp pepper
• 3 – 10.5oz condensed cream of “whatever” soup (or 5C chicken broth)
• 1C heavy cream or milk
• 1½C water
• 5 to 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin on – cut in 1” pieces (I always cheat and use a rotisserie chicken or precooked chicken from the deli instead)
• 2C long grain white rice, basmati or jasmine preferred

Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt butter in disposable 9×13.

Combine flour, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, soups, heavy cream and water in bottom of pan. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated and no white specks remain.

Spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the dish.

Lay the chicken, skin-side up, gently and evenly over the sauce. Do not press the chicken down into the liquid.

Lay an entire stick of butter on top.

Cover. Bake for one hour.

Remove the foil.

Bake 30min, until rice is tender.

Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

To Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days. To reheat, add a few drops of water to keep the rice moist, then reheat it in the oven or microwave to at least 165 degrees F.

To Freeze: Let the casserole cool completely. Cover it with a layer of Saran Wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven or microwave.