# I have a question about chicken in Rice-a-Roni



## rodentraiser (Jul 31, 2016)

So tonight I cut up a chicken breast and put it in a dish with 2 cups of chicken broth, some herbs, a couple bay leaves, etc. After about 20 minutes, I started the Rice-a-Roni, browning the vermillon first.

After the vermillion was browned, I added 2 1/2 cups of more chicken broth to the Rice-a-Roni (supposed to be water, but I'm a sucker for chicken broth), seasoned exactly like I had flavored the chicken, and then I fished the chicken out of its pan and added it to the Rice-Roni.

At that point I had a DUH moment (the heat this last week has addled my brain). Why couldn't I use the liquid I poached the chicken in instead of making a whole new 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth to add to the rice? Would it be too fatty from the chicken to use?

Then I was wondering if there is an easier way still? Would I be able to cut up the raw chicken breast, put it in 2 1/2 cups of flavored chicken broth along with the Rice-a-Roni (after I browned the vermillion) and cook the whole thing in the oven? Would the chicken get done after only 20 minutes in the oven?


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## Rocklobster (Jul 31, 2016)

If you cut the chicken breast meat small enough and browned it well, it should be almost done, so an additional 20 minutes in the oven would suffice, for sure....


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## GotGarlic (Jul 31, 2016)

Yes, you can put the raw chicken in the Rice a Roni and either bake it or simmer it on the stovetop. Either will work.


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## RPCookin (Jul 31, 2016)

I would brown the cut up chicken right along with the Rice-a-Roni, then finish as you normally would.


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## jabbur (Jul 31, 2016)

I do mine in the oven.  I put the Rice-a-Roni in the baking dish, add the water (broth) as directed, dot it with butter, then I put the chicken breasts in whole.  Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 mins at 350°F.  Remove the foil and then you can cut up the chicken and stir it in.  I sometimes just brush the breasts with BBQ sauce and return to the oven just long enough to bake the sauce on the breasts.  Of course the Rice-a-Roni is not the same consistency as if you cooked it on the stove top but you still get the flavor and it's easy.


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## Kayelle (Jul 31, 2016)

This is your best choice...


> Then I was wondering if there is an easier way still? Would I be able to  cut up the raw chicken breast, put it in 2 1/2 cups of flavored chicken  broth along with the Rice-a-Roni (after I browned the vermillion) and  cook the whole thing in the oven? Would the chicken get done after only  20 minutes in the oven?


It could also be done covered on the stove top, and 20 minutes would be more than enough time for breast chunks.


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## RPCookin (Jul 31, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> So tonight I cut up a chicken breast and put it in a dish with 2 cups of chicken broth, some herbs, a couple bay leaves, etc. After about 20 minutes, I started the Rice-a-Roni, browning the *vermillon* first.
> 
> After the *vermillion* was browned, I added 2 1/2 cups of more chicken broth to the Rice-a-Roni (supposed to be water, but I'm a sucker for chicken broth), seasoned exactly like I had flavored the chicken, and then I fished the chicken out of its pan and added it to the Rice-Roni.



Just a point that I can't pass up...  it's *vermicelli*.  Vermillion is a shade of red.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 31, 2016)

RPCookin said:


> Just a point that I can't pass up...  it's *vermicelli*.  Vermillion is a shade of red.




Picky picky


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## rodentraiser (Jul 31, 2016)

jabbur said:


> I do mine in the oven.  I put the Rice-a-Roni in the baking dish, add the water (broth) as directed, dot it with butter, then I put the chicken breasts in whole.  Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 mins at 350°F.  Remove the foil and then you can cut up the chicken and stir it in.  I sometimes just brush the breasts with BBQ sauce and return to the oven just long enough to bake the sauce on the breasts.  Of course the Rice-a-Roni is not the same consistency as if you cooked it on the stove top but you still get the flavor and it's easy.



At 20 minutes, the rice would have absorbed all the water. If it cooks in the dish without water, will it then stick or burn to the bottom of the dish?

So I guess I did waste an extra cups of chicken broth and seasonings then. Well, live and learn. Thank you, everyone. I love adding hamburger to Rice-a-Roni, but I've never added chicken before. I'm definitely going to do this more often thanks to the suggestions I've gotten here. 

I just have to learn to cut back a wee bit on the cayenne. *still fanning mouth*


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## rodentraiser (Jul 31, 2016)

RPCookin said:


> Just a point that I can't pass up...  it's *vermicelli*.  Vermillion is a shade of red.



Which is the exact shade I am right now. 

Thanks for the correction. I think in the future I'll just call it that skinny spaghetti stuff.  (I think this is the closest I'm going to get to wearing a chef's hat!).


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## Dawgluver (Jul 31, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> Which is the exact shade I am now.
> 
> Thanks for the correction. I think in the future I'll just call it that skinny spaghetti stuff.




No issue.  We all knew what you meant, and it was kind of cute.


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## Andy M. (Jul 31, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> Which is the exact shade I am right now.
> 
> Thanks for the correction. I think in the future I'll just call it that skinny spaghetti stuff.  (I think this is the closest I'm going to get to wearing a chef's hat!).



I avoid the issue by using angel hair pasta.


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## Andy M. (Jul 31, 2016)

I'm assuming you're using the brand name rice-a-toni (a boxed rice pilaf) to describe pilaf you make yourself.

To get the best out of the chicken, cook it separately.  Make the pilaf and while it's cooking, sauté the chicken in a skillet and serve it next to the pilaf.  If you cook chicken in the pilaf, it's likely to be overcooked and dry.


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## jabbur (Aug 1, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> At 20 minutes, the rice would have absorbed all the water. If it cooks in the dish without water, will it then stick or burn to the bottom of the dish?
> 
> So I guess I did waste an extra cups of chicken broth and seasonings then. Well, live and learn. Thank you, everyone. I love adding hamburger to Rice-a-Roni, but I've never added chicken before. I'm definitely going to do this more often thanks to the suggestions I've gotten here.
> 
> I just have to learn to cut back a wee bit on the cayenne. *still fanning mouth*



With the foil on the rice doesn't burn and if you prep the pan with spray oil like PAM it doesn't stick.  The rice is more sticky but we like it that way.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 1, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> At 20 minutes, the rice would have absorbed all the water. If it cooks in the dish without water, will it then stick or burn to the bottom of the dish?
> 
> So I guess I did waste an extra cups of chicken broth and seasonings then. Well, live and learn. Thank you, everyone. I love adding hamburger to Rice-a-Roni, but I've never added chicken before. I'm definitely going to do this more often thanks to the suggestions I've gotten here.
> 
> I just have to learn to cut back a wee bit on the cayenne. *still fanning mouth*


  We have a recipe that was brought home from a pot luck by my MIL.  My wife learned it from her, and I modified it to cook on the stove top instead of in a casserole dish.  It is yummy.  This was done when DW was a child.  She and her siblings were asked what to name it by their mother.  They called it Ralph, of all things.  The name stuck, it's delicious, and here's how you make it.

*Full Batch, Original Recipe Ingredients*:
  4 ½ cups water
  2 pkg. Lipton’s Chicken Soup
  1 cup Long Grain Rice
  1 cup Chopped Celery
  ¼ cup Slivered Almonds (optional)
  1 Onion, diced
  2 lbs. Ground beef, browned

  Place all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes.  Test to make sure the rice is done.  Serve.

*Modified for a family of 4 to 5*
  Ingredients:
  2 ¾ cup water
  1 pkg. Lipton’s Chicken Soup
  1 ½ lbs. Ground beef, browned
  1 stalk Celery, sliced
  ¾ cup diced Onion
  2 tbs. butter.

  Combine all ingredients into a suitable pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low simmer.  Cook for 45 minutes.  Serve

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## rodentraiser (Aug 2, 2016)

Andy M. said:


> I'm assuming you're using the brand name rice-a-toni (a boxed rice pilaf) to describe pilaf you make yourself.



Er, no. At 88¢/box, I'm using the boxed Rice-a-Roni for the time being. Although if I ever get another couple of canisters so I have a place to store rice, I might eat it more often. I only really have one shelf of one cupboard to store all my food on and the little boxes of Rice-a-Roni can be laid flat on top of everything else after I do the month's shopping.

And when they fall out of the cupboard when I'm digging for something else, it doesn't hurt when they land on my toes.


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## rodentraiser (Aug 2, 2016)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> We have a recipe that was brought home from a pot luck by my MIL.  My wife learned it from her, and I modified it to cook on the stove top instead of in a casserole dish.  It is yummy.  This was done when DW was a child.  She and her siblings were asked what to name it by their mother.  They called it Ralph, of all things.  The name stuck, it's delicious, and here's how you make it.
> 
> *Full Batch, Original Recipe Ingredients*:
> 4 ½ cups water
> ...



That's kind of how I make the Rice-a-Roni with hamburger. Except I also flavor the rice with onion and garlic powder, and throw in chopped onion and some minced garlic with the hamburger, along with some salt, pepper, cayenne, Italian seasoning, and some extra basil and parsley flakes.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 2, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> That's kind of how I make the Rice-a-Roni with hamburger. Except I also flavor the rice with onion and garlic powder, and throw in chopped onion and some minced garlic with the hamburger, along with some salt, pepper, cayenne, Italian seasoning, and some extra basil and parsley flakes.



Yup, there is diced onion in mine as well.  I do seperate the completed dish into two haves as I like more seasoning in mine.  My wife loves the recipe as is.  I add thyme, sage, and black pepper, along with butter to top it all with.  I've also added grated carrot, and frozen peas to the mixture before bringing to a boil.  You can even add scrambled egg if you like.  It's a pretty versatile recipe.  For me though, I need to have the added herbs and spices to turn it from good to great.

I have also made the dish using Better Than Bouillon brand beef bouillon with vermicelli instead of the Lipton's soup with chicken.  Then I call it Norton, as Ralph and his best freind Norton are best friends, but different personalities in the Honeymooners skit on the old Jackie Gleason show.  So when made with chicken flavor, it's Ralph.  With beef flavor, it's Norton.  Oh yeh!  "And away we go!

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Andy M. (Aug 2, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> Er, no. At 88¢/box, I'm using the boxed Rice-a-Roni for the time being. Although if I ever get another couple of canisters so I have a place to store rice, I might eat it more often. I only really have one shelf of one cupboard to store all my food on and the little boxes of Rice-a-Roni can be laid flat on top of everything else after I do the month's shopping.
> 
> And when they fall out of the cupboard when I'm digging for something else, it doesn't hurt when they land on my toes.



OK. I stand corrected.  Consider trying the Near East brand.  It's closer to home made.  

My recommendation is still valid.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 2, 2016)

Andy M. said:


> I'm assuming you're using the brand name rice-a-toni (a boxed rice pilaf) to describe pilaf you make yourself.
> 
> To get the best out of the chicken, cook it separately.  Make the pilaf and while it's cooking, sauté the chicken in a skillet and serve it next to the pilaf.  If you cook chicken in the pilaf, it's likely to be overcooked and dry.



+1.  You are spot on with that advice.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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