Easy Peasy Skillet Chicken Rice

Tonight I was in a super big hurry to get dinner on the table, before the troops "scattered" for the evening. I didn't have time to throw the odds and ends into my usual "Craperole" or Cream of Garbage soup. Then, I remembered a friend talking  about a skillet recipe a friend of hers whipped up on busy, end of the month (a.k.a. end of the grocery budget) nights. I only got snippets of the conversation, so I pieced together what I could remember and improvised the rest (imagine, that!).  Thus, Easy Peasy Skillet Chicken Rice was born. The beauty of this recipe is that you can improvise anything for the ingredients listed (my favorite kind of recipe). It is truly a thirty minute meal, I had it on the table in half an hour. It was pretty tasty, and there are enough leftovers to send in several lunch boxes tomorrow (for those with access to a microwave).

Easy Peasy Skillet Chicken  Rice

2 tablespoons butter (or oil)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
2 cups chopped frozen broccoli
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
2 cups uncooked white rice
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons chicken bullion 
4 cups hot water
Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat butter (oil) in a large skillet.
2. Add onion, carrot, garlic and rice to butter. Saute (stirring often) until onion and carrot are tender and rice is lightly brown.
3. Add chicken, broccoli, parsley, bullion,pepper and hot water.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover skillet with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and rice is soft.
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired, before serving

• You can replace the white rice for brown rice (increase cooking time to 40 - 45 minutes)
• Replace the rice for 2 cups of orzo pasta. Simmer for 20 - 25 minutes until liquid absorbed.
• Replace rice for 2 cups Quinoa. Simmer for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
• Replace broccoli for an equal amount of cauliflower, peas, green beans, or corn.
• Replace cooked chicken for 1/2 pound cooked ground beef or country style sausage. 
• Replace cooked chicken for 2 cups cooked beef (replace beef bullion for chicken bullion).