I stole this recipe for Creamy Chicken & Rice from a cookbook called Natasha’s Kitchen. This delicious one pot meal is easy to make for a weeknight or impressive for a weekend meal. First onions, carrots and salt are cooked in a Dutch oven until soft. Then chopped chicken, bay leaves, pepper and salt are added and cooked until the chicken is golden. Next broth is added with rice and a garlic head. The pot is covered and simmered until the rice is fully cooked. Then the garlic and bay leaves are removed before adding butter, Parmesan cheese and parsley. This recipe is a tasty way to add carrots to a meal, even for those that don’t like carrots.
The ingredients for this recipe are: 1 whole garlic head, ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil, ¼ cup butter, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 2 tsp salt, 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken, 2 dried bay leaves, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 cup dry white wine, 5 cups chicken stock, 2 cups medium-grain white rice, ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese and ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Slice off the tip of the garlic head to expose the cloves, leaving the root end intact. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and 2 tbsp butter. Add onion, carrots and 1 tsp salt.
Then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft and golden. Add the chicken, bay leaves, pepper and 1 tsp salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the chicken is golden on all sides. Increase the heat to high and add the wine. Cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, for 3 to 5 minutes, until most of the wine is evaporated. Then add the rice to the pot.
Next add the broth and place the garlic head, sliced side down in the center of the rice.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.
Remove pot from the heat and remove and discard the bay leaves. Take out the garlic head. Discard or squeeze out cloves and stir into the rice. Then add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Stir until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with more Parmesan and parsley.
If you liked this recipe for Creamy Chicken & Rice then you can also try One Pan No Peek Chicken & Rice, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Chicken and Rice Casserole or Instant Pot Garlic Herb Chicken.
Creamy Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
- 1 whole garlic head
- ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 large carrots grated
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken, trimmed into 1 inch pieces
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups medium-grain white rice
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
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Slice off the tip of the garlic head to expose the cloves, leaving the root end intact. Set aside.
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In a Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and 2 tbsp butter. Add onion, carrots and 1 tsp salt, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft and golden. Add the chicken, bay leaves, pepper and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the chicken is golden on all sides.
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Increase the heat to high and add the wine. Cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, for 3 to 5 minutes, until most of the wine is evaporated. Add the broth and rice and place the garlic head, sliced side down in the center of the rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW and cover.
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Simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.
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Remove pot from the heat and remove and discard the bay leaves. Take out the garlic head. Discard or squeeze out cloves and stir into the rice. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
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Serve with more Parmesan and parsley.