Why is it that chicken and rice can taste so good the day you cook them, but then as leftovers, they are so…. blah? Well, I am here with a simple recipe that will put your leftover chicken and rice to good use! And it’s delicious too.
the ingredients
One major problem with both rice and chicken is that they both dry out as they sit in the refrigerator. This makes for tough chicken and hard rice. The solution is to re-hydrate them both with liquid. Bone broth works perfectly here because it flavors the dish as it hydrates, and adds extra nutrients.
For the cheese in this recipe, anything creamy will do. I used goat cheese because it is what I had on hand and our whole family loves it. Feta would also work here, or even cream cheese.
This recipe is perfect for summer because it is topped with fresh herbs. I used a mixture of oregano and basil, but thyme or rosemary would work as well. If you use feta as the cheese, fresh mint would be delicious as a topping.
Aside from the cheese and herbs, the only other ingredients are pantry staples: butter (or another fat if you don’t have butter), garlic, salt, and pepper.
the technique
This recipe works because the bone broth is being absorbed slowly by the chicken and rice. So the leftover foods become hydrated without becoming mushy. The cheese is mixed in at the end to add creaminess to the texture, and the herbs give so much fresh flavor.
make it a meal
I served this dish with a green salad and ranch dressing. It would be great with rolls, a crusty loaf of sourdough, or any roast veggie side dish.
This dish worked so well with minimum effort, I may just have to add it to my summer dinner repertoire!
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simple leftover chicken and rice dish
This easy and yummy dinner is a great use of leftovers that would otherwise go to waste!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups leftover cooked rice (I had brown rice)
- 4 or 5 cups leftover cooked chicken, chopped or shredded into bite-size pieces
- 6 cups bone broth
- 10 oz creamy cheese, such as goat cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh, chopped herbs of your choice (I used basil and oregano)
Instructions
- In a stock pot, large sauce pan, or dutch oven, bring the bone broth to a gentle simmer
- Heat another skillet or dutch oven to medium, and add the butter
- Add garlic, rice, and chicken to the melted butter and stir for a few minutes, until garlic is fragrant
- Add 1/2 cup broth to the chicken and rice, stirring so that the broth is absorbed
- When the broth is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup, stirring; repeat this process until all broth is used up
- Turn off heat and stir in the cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fresh herbs
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