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CARE Recipe: Cheddar Chicken and Basmati Rice Skillet
This recipe is a staple in CARE. It’s introduced in the first week’s sample meal plan for new members for a reason. It’s easy, so family-friendly, and a great example of how balanced doesn’t have to mean boring. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken and making your rice ahead of time makes this a quick 20-minute dinner option (lean ground turkey could also be used). This recipe also shows you how you can still make savory, comforting dishes with cheese and rice – by balancing the right quality and in the right amounts.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 bell pepper, chopped
- 12 ounces cubed rotisserie chicken (combination of white and dark meat)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 4 cup COOKED brown basmati rice (any brown rice variety can be used)
- 6 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley (fresh Italian parsley could also be used)
- 1 cup frozen green pea
- 1 1/2 cups shredded low fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare rice if not already cooked.
- Carefully crush garlic cloves using the back flat side of a knife. Remove the peel and mince. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sautee onion and green pepper until onion is translucent and tender (about 10 minutes).
- Add all remaining ingredients (including garlic and cheese). Stir to combine.
- Bring mixture up to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until heated thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, portion, and enjoy.
Notes
- To increase the leafy and tender veggies of the meal, serve with a fresh side salad OR stir in streamed veggies (like broccoli or cauliflower) at the time of serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: one pot
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Calories: 403
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 569mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Wonderful suggestions. I Wii definitely give them a try.
Good luck and have fun! Please feel invited to share an update with how it goes!
I don’t eat tomatoes or bell peppers. Should I try to replace them, and if so, with what?
Hi Laurice- You certainly can substitute them. Truly any vegetable would work that you like. I think switching sliced mushrooms for the bell pepper and diced cauliflower for the tomatoes would be a lovely alternative. I would add the mushrooms to sautee with the onion. I’d be sure to chop the cauliflower quite small so that it can steam and tenderize without having to do that separately. I’d probably add just a little more broth and then cover the skillet for that 10 minutes to ensure the cauliflower (or other veggie of choice) had time to soften. (With that being said, you could also use a bag of frozen diced cauliflower, steam it in the microwave to thaw, and then toss it into the skillet.) Hope this gives you some ideas!