Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni

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I used to love Rice-A-Roni. I remember eating a lot as a kid and always being excited to see it on the table. Then when I started cooking for my own family, I relied on those boxes of rice fairly frequently. Once my husband and I made the decision to start eating from scratch 95% of the time, I mourned the loss of my beloved San Francisco treat. (I’m not the only one who remembers those commercials, am I?)

I’m not sure why I didn’t think to make it from scratch sooner. It’s SO easy and SO good! It tastes exactly like the boxed Rice-A-Roni I loved, except for one thing – it’s better. It tastes fresher with more flavor and less salt. It’s cheaper too. Oh, and one other thing – it can be assembled ahead of time and bagged up to store in your pantry. Whenever you get the desire for a quick rice side dish, grab a bag and your all set. How great is that?

Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken

Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb spaghetti, angel hair or vermicelli pasta
  • 1 cup rice
  • 3 chicken bullion cubes, crushed or 3 t. chicken stock base
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp  Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 cup water

Instructions

  • Break noodles into small pieces.
  • Combine with rice; set aside until using. In a small bowl, chicken bullion cubes or stock base. Stir in salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and paprika until combined. Set aside until using.
  • + 15 minutes simmer time  Melt butter in a large skillet. Stir in broken noodles and rice. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently over medium heat, until pasta is lightly browned.
  • Stir in seasoning mixture and water. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
  • If you’re a 100% from-scratch eater instead of a 95% from-scratch eater, you could definitely use chicken stock in place of the bullion cubes or stock base and water.

Notes

If you’re a 100% from-scratch eater instead of a 95% from-scratch eater, you could definitely use chicken stock in place of the bullion cubes or stock base and water.