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Chicken and rice is a staple of the homemade on a weeknight rotation because it checks all the boxes. You have your protein, and your carb together is some sort of sauce or gravy. With the addition of Kale, you even have some veg in the mix. So this recipe for Kale Chicken & Rice is a one pot wonder you need to add to your next menu plan.
When I sat toast the rice… you need to toast the rice! It should be a true golden brown. I know it’s hard as you think it’s going to burn (which makes things bitter) but it won’t. You want to take the grains from a full translucent white to a golden brown. They will cook off to a true rice color in end. The whole point is to open up the germ of the rice so that it has more flavor and cooks more evenly.
This recipe really does require at least a 12 inch saute pan – though a 14 inch Everyday Pan is better. What’s really necessary is a lid, as you can’t really cook rice without a lid. Without a lid, all the moist evaporates into the air, instead of being circulated back into the pan so the rice can absorb it.
If you aren’t a fan of kale, you could swap out for spinach. If you wanted to add something else – like broccoli or cauliflower – you would need to cut them up fairly small, so that it cooks well along with the rest of the ingredients. But I will say, if you aren’t a fan of kale because you haven’t had it much, this is great dish to try it out on with your family. It is not over powering at all, it just adds a nice tough of vegetables.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Kale Chicken & Rice
A quick weeknight #onepot dinner loaded with flavor
Servings 6
- 2 lb Chicken Breast cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ lb Bacon
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 3 cups Long Grain Rice
- 1 qt Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Kale chopped
- Over medium high heat, add bacon to the saute pan. Cook until crispy and remove to paper towel covered plate. Reserve bacon grease in pan.
- Reduce heat in pan to medium. Add chicken and saute for about 3 minutes, then add onions and garlic. Push chicken mixture to one side of pan and add butter. Once melted add rice. Saute and toast until golden.
- Crumble bacon and and to pan along with broth, milk , oregano, and basil. Stir to combine and bring just a bubble. Cover with lid and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir in heavy cream and parmesan. Remove pan from heat and fold in kale.
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