Gardening Charlotte

Baked Chicken Rice

Of all of the recipes from my childhood, this Baked Chicken Rice recipe is the most memory-evoking. It was our family go-to recipe when we needed a meal for a couple of days. Mom would ask me to make it when she was tired or when we needed to stretch a meal for last-minute guests.

When I was collecting family recipes to put in a recipe book for my brothers when they graduated from college, Mom mentioned this recipe as the first one that should be included.

For several years, Mom and I used this recipe to feed a number of growing members of my brothers college clubs. They liked to meet at my mom’s house on Saturday nights. Mom said she didn’t mind. She said she preferred knowing my brothers were safe and not out getting into trouble.

If I had to gauge the groups by how much they ate, the astronomy club was the tallest and most hungry, followed by the Dungeons and Dragons group, although the astronomy club ate more cookies. Both were easy to feed, they seemed quite appreciative of getting something – anything – as a meal. It was all of that growing they were doing.

We used to get whole chickens, cut them up and bake enough as meals, then bake the remainder with different vegetables. That would give us two meals fixed at once. If we varied seasonings, it was hard to tell that the meals were cooked at the same time.

Over the years, I developed several versions, some I even remember. White rice baked faster than brown rice, although brown rice is healthier.

To feed more people with this recipe, double the rice. You can double the rice and the chicken as long as the baking dish allows the chicken to evenly sit on top of the rice.

I had not made this recipe in awhile. I turned the recipe card over, thinking it was too easy but, well – it really is this easy.

Baked Chicken Rice

4 pieces of chicken

1 cup of rice (either brown or white)

2 cups liquid – water, chicken broth, white wine, chicken bouillon

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp paprika

1⁄2 tsp salt

These are optional but add a lot of flavor and color:

1 medium yellow onion (optional)

1⁄2 cup diced celery

1⁄2 cup diced carrots

Frozen peas (to add as dish cools)

Diced tomatoes

To make:

Pour rice in bottom of baking dish; Add liquid, butter, salt. Add 4 pieces of chicken on top; sprinkle with paprika. Cover. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes for white rice, 1 hour for brown rice.

Remove cover. Chicken will fall off the bone so serve either by removing chicken bones and mixing into rice, or serving chicken off the bone separately.

Once cool, add frozen peas and/or minced tomatoes to rice. Serve.

From this recipe, I made four meal servings, freezing three for later use.

The remaining cooked chicken will freeze well for later although it’s a nice option if you don’t like eating the same meal two days in a row.

That’s it.  Simple, don’t you think?

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is a beekeeper, gardener and sometimes cook. Published by El Dorado Springs Sun once in print and online with author’s permission. Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. This column may not be reprinted, republished or otherwise distributed without author’s permission. Contact Charlotte at gardeningcharlotte at gmail dot com.

DOUBLE DUTY – Baked chicken rice can be two dishes in one. The rice cooks with the vegetables and juices and can be served on its own; the chicken itself will be tender enough to fall off the bone. Mix cut up chicken with the rice, or serve separately, this is a very simple and versatile dish.

DOESN’T GET ANY FRESHER – Yes, I grew the fresh parsley on the baked chicken rice dish in a hanging basket in my dining room. All I have to do is reach up and snip off a sprig. (Photos by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins).