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
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.