With chicken, mushrooms, and rice cooked in a creamy sauce, this is a feel-good, stick-to-your-ribs home cooked meal you can create in less than 10 minutes. It’s amazingly delicious and is sure to be one of the easiest meals you’ll ever make.
Whenever I change my clocks and spring ahead to daylight savings time, I’m always thrown off by thinking it’s earlier than it is. The sun is still out, so it must be early. Right? Well, that’s what I thought last night and, yikes, was I wrong.
When I looked at the clock, it was 8:03 p.m. and I hadn’t even started dinner. My son was acting all deprived, neglected, and starved despite just having a bag of Skittles, chips and dip, and a soft drink (nope, he’s not starving at all, trust me!).
Not enough time to cook the meal I had planned (Japanese rice omelets — recipe coming soon), so I had no choice but to punt and go rogue. Time for an inventory check.
I already had rice cooked from the day before and warming in my rice cooker, canned goods galore in the pantry, and cheese in the fridge. Sounded like the makings for a quick meal for sure.
Using whatever available ingredients I had on hand, I created this chicken rice in less than 10 minutes. In fact, I had dinner cooked, served, eaten, kitchen cleaned up, and was sitting on the sofa watching TV by 8:45 p.m. — what’s not to love about one-pot meals and paper plates!
My son said, “Wow, this is really good stuff. You definitely need to make this again.” And now that I’m jotting down what I’m doing in the kitchen, I can make this exact same dish again…and again…and so can you.
Now that’s what I call a dinner success story. Enjoy!
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Worry-Free Cooking |
- You will want to use a large skillet for this one-pot recipe. As always, I turned to my trusty Classic Cajun Cookware, which is what I recommend. It cooks evenly and is a true workhorse in the kitchen.
- If you don’t already have a rice cooker and warmer, it may be time to consider getting one. This handy kitchen appliance cooks rice evenly and easily, plus keeps the rice warm until you’re ready. It’s especially ideal for multi-day meals.
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Menu Planning |
- The rice and chicken combination makes this a hearty dish. A side of green beans, corn, or a small salad are good sides to complete the meal.
- While this isn’t a Cajun dish, it does lend itself well to a good dousing of Crystal Hot Sauce. After serving yourself a bowl of rice, add as much or as little as you like. It’s not over-the-top spicy and adds an out of this world flavor to this dish.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. When reheating, stir in a little milk or water to loosen the rice and recreate the smooth, creamy texture. You can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freeze leftovers for a meal another time. Scoop cooled rice into an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag and store in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw and reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy again.
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Helping Hand |
- I used canned chicken; however, leftover rotisserie or grilled chicken cut into bite-sized chunks will work just as well.
- This recipe calls for half cup of Monterey jack cheese because that’s what was on hand that night. A little more cheese never hurt anyone, so add as much as you like. Parmesan and cheddar cheeses are also good substitutes.
- Any kind of rice will do, though, I’m a huge fan of medium grain white rice. My favorites are Nishiki Medium Grain Rice and Botan Calrose Rice. Both cook well in a rice cooker and are moister and more tender than others I’ve tried.
- For a little added veggies, toss in some frozen broccoli after you add the chicken broth. Adding this healthy veggie will surely offset the calories in the cheese, or not. Still a healthy addition to this amazing dish.
- My seasoning cabinet if chock-full of Cajun spices, each with a unique flavor and use. For this recipe, I used Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Poultry Magic for its blend of seasonings that complement chicken well. An excellent substitute is Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, which is another favorite go-to.
Super Easy Creamy Chicken Rice
Chicken, mushrooms, and rice in a creamy sauce prepared in less than 10 minutes, all in one pot. This is one of the easiest home cooked meals you’ll ever make.
6
servings5
minutes5
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
4 cups 4 cooked rice
1 medium 1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons 2 butter
2 12.5-ounce cans 2 chunk chicken breast, drained
1 13.25-ounce can 1 mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 10.5-ounce can 1 cream of mushroom soup
1 cup 1 chicken broth
1 8-ounce 1 cream cheese block
1/2 cup 1/2 Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup 1/2 heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon 1 smoked paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons 1-1/2 garlic powder
1 teaspoon 1 Cajun poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Continue cooking and stir in chicken, mushrooms, soup, and broth until well blended.
- Break cream cheese into chunks and add to pot, then add jack cheese and heavy cream. Stir well.
- Seasonings with paprika, garlic powder, and poultry seasonings. Cook about 3 minutes until bubbly hot.
- Spoon in rice, stirring well to avoid clumps of rice.
- Garnish with green onions or parsley flakes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Grocery & Gourmet
- Medium grain white rice like Nishiki Medium Grain Rice and Botan Calrose Rice cook well in a rice cooker and are moister and more tender than others I’ve tried.
- When serving, put a bottle of Crystal Hot Sauce on the table for added Cajun spice and out of this world flavor.
- Try Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Poultry Magic for its blend of seasonings that complement chicken well. An excellent substitute is Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.
Worry-Free Cooking
Classic Cajun CookwareView Details
Rice Cooker & WarmerView Details
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and star rating below. It’s always refreshing to hear how others like a recipe, find success with it, or tweak to suit. I’d love to hear from you!
