When I was kid, my Mom would make us Rice-a-Roni. Our favorite was the broccoli cheddar which she often served with grilled chicken. Whether or not we ate the chicken with gusto I can’t remember, but there was never any rice leftover.

This recipe takes the nostalgia of that childhood classic and amps it up to a full meal that adults AND kiddos will love. It comes together in one pot so cleanup is a breeze. If doing dishes can ever be a breeze! But at least there won’t be pile ups strew across the kitchen.

Recipe

• 2 cups leftover chicken
• 2 cups sharp cheddar
• 2 crowns broccoli – chopped
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup rice
• 2 carrots – chopped
• handful of thyme sprigs

In a dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot) toss in the veggies and cook them down until nice and soft. Deglaze the plan with water, broth or wine if they start to stick. When everything is nice and soft – grab an immersion blender – you can either blend everything and make it smooth or only do half and keep it chunky. My little sous chefs like it smooth so I pureed everything.

Next up, add in the chicken broth and the rice – bring to a boil then simmer until the liquid is absorbed or close to it – about 20-25 minutes. Slowly stir in the cheese – the sauce will start to thicken up as you incorporate the cheddar. Now – you can either dish it up, or pop it in the oven for 25 minutes and get it super melty and crunchy. Totally up to you!

Pardon the lack of photos – the little sous chefs were eating it out of the pot and I didn’t get any!

Bon Appetit!