Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni takes your favorite childhood meal and makes it from scratch!

Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni

I am in such a dinner rut right now. I always struggle in summer because my preferences lean heavily towards winter foods. Soup, stew, pasta, casseroles, roasts and mashed potatoes, all of it. It must of been my youth spent in the frozen tundra also known as Northern Minnesota. Fall/Winter foods = comfort foods for me.

Another of my comfort foods from my childhood is Rice-a-Roni, in almost all varieties.

I LOVE that stuff, but most of the time I just can’t bring myself to buy it anymore.

We try and avoid MSG when we can, so even though my heart cries out for that lovely San Francisco Treat, I limit it.

Severely.

I’m not sure why it has never occurred to me to make it at home before tonight! I’ve revamped the Spanish Rice version, but never my favorite chicken or beef.

Look no further, folks. Here it is.

I was pretty surprised how similar this was to the boxed version. It got 4/5 kid stars, which is a winner in this house!

Even the baby liked it.

The baby, who is about to turn ONE this weekend! EEEK! Get ready for birthday party posts coming up next week. I hope you are prepared.

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Yield: 6

Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni

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Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni makes your favorite boxed meal into something wholesome and homemade!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 cups diced chicken breast, liberally seasoned with salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup long grain rice, I used Jasmine
• 1 cup good quality spaghetti, it takes longer to cook, which is a bonus here, broken into small pieces
• 2-4 medium crimini mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons chicken reduced sodium Better Than Bouillion
• 1/2 cup white wine, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay would be best
• 1 cup chopped broccoli, frozen is okay

Instructions

1. Preheat oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick or seasoned cast iron saute pan. Quickly brown diced chicken, and then remove from the pan. It is okay, preferable actually, if the chicken is still partly pink in the middle at this point.
2. Melt butter in the saute pan over medium heat. Add rice and pasta, and cook stirring frequently until the pasta is browned. Add the mushrooms during the last 3-4 minutes of the rice/pasta cook time, and cook those along with the rice/pasta. Add the onion and garlic powder, the parsley, salt, water, bouillon, and wine.
3. Add the chicken back into the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccoli during last 5 minutes of cooking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!

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Nicole Johnson

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Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.