Chicken and Rice

Sometimes, chicken and rice is all you need for dinner! Or, sometimes, it's all you have time to make. Yesterday, for my little family, it was both. I woke up thinking, I will make mushroom risotto tonight! (Do you wake up thinking about food, too? Say yes.) I've never made risotto and it's something I've been wanting to try for awhile. I had everything I needed, it was going to be great.

But as the day went on, mushroom risotto and food in general took a backseat in the car that is my life. My little boy got sick, and sick-er by the hour. We made it almost a year without experiencing the panic of a high fever! As a parent, you are an afterthought in your own life but when your kid is sick, life outside of him/her doesn't even exist. Mushroom risotto turns into a bunch of letters that form words that sound kind of funny.

When we got home from the doctor, baby asleep in his car seat, I found chicken I had defrosted earlier that morning sitting on the counter. Oh yeah. Food. Dinner. Mushroom risotto. It all came back to me. Was I about to dirty 3 pans and slowly stir chicken broth and wine into rice until it became risotto? No. And that's when I found this:


Yes, the cocktail. But also the mushroom and herb rice pilaf. I could add fresh mushrooms! Close enough to mushroom risotto, and Sandra Lee would be proud. I decided to accompany that with the easiest and most delicious chicken recipe ever and I had dinner in 20 minutes.

Mushroom Rice Pilaf
(Serves 2-4)

One box Mushroom and Herb Rice Pilaf (or whatever flavor you fancy)
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper
1 T chopped basil
Drizzle of truffle honey

Melt olive oil and butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute until golden brown. Drizzle with truffle honey. (We bought truffle honey at our favorite cheese shop, and a small amount goes a long way.) Set mushrooms aside.


Make rice as directed on package. Once cooked and fluffy, add mushrooms and chopped basil. Stir.


For the easiest and most delicious chicken recipe ever, click HERE. Last night, I omitted the mushrooms in the recipe because they were in the rice and I added some lemon zest.




*In case you were wondering, my son is just fine today. And in case you were wondering, the car that is my life is a Toyota Previa Minivan.