COMFORT ESSENTIALS: CHICKEN, VEGGIES, AND RICE

Comfort Essentials: Chicken, Veggies, and Rice image

Put this together the other day. I was looking for something that had the comfort qualities of a chicken pot pie, but different. This is what I came up with... So, you ready... Let's get into the kitchen.

Provided by Andy Anderson ! @ThePretentiousChef

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
DRY SPICES
1 tablespoon(s) brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) paprika, mild variety
1 teaspoon(s) dried oregano
1 teaspoon(s) salt, kosher variety, fine grind
1/4 teaspoon(s) black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 teaspoon(s) ancho chili powder
THE CHICKEN
chicken, more on this later
olive oil, extra virgin variety, as needed
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
1 cup(s) sauce, more on this later
1 cup(s) veggies, more on this later
1/2 cup(s) steamed long-grained white rice
OPTIONAL ITEMS
shredded parmesan cheese, at the table
crusty bread

Steps:

PREP/PREPARE
You will need an ovenproof skillet, glass baking dish, or rimmed baking sheet to make this recipe.
The Chicken This recipe is designed for two, so you will need two pieces of chicken. Thighs and breasts come to mind. You could probably use any cut of the chicken, but I found that boneless and skinless is the way to go. I tried it on some thighs and breasts, and both came out excellent and very flavorful. If you have the time, you might want to throw them into a salt brine for an hour; especially if you are using breasts. A quick brine of just 50 - 60 minutes is enough to add flavor to smaller cuts like chicken breasts. Just dissolve 4 tablespoons of kosher salt (3 tablespoons if you are using fine table salt) to a quart (1 liter) of cold water and let the chicken sit in the brine, in the refrigerator for about an hour. If you are doing thighs, you probably can skip the brining, as thighs are naturally moist.
The Sauce The sauce is the one ingredient that binds all the other items in this recipe together. The one I made is my French Sauce Supreme. It is actually not that difficult and it is an amazing sauce. If you are using a different sauce, just think of a sauce that would go nicely in a pot pie. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/sauce-spread-other-sauce-spread/french-sauce-supreme.html
The Veggies If I cannot get fresh, my next best option is organic frozen. I am using a combination of chopped carrots, onions, and peas; however, you can add any veggies that you like. It is up to you... no pressure.
Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
Mix all the dry spices together in a small bowl
Place a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
Add some olive oil to a glass baking dish, or high-rimmed baking sheet.
Add the chicken and turn to coat in the oil.
In this photo, I am trying an experiment between chicken breasts and thighs. In truth both came out tasting pretty great.
Sprinkle the dry spices over the chicken.
Place into the preheated oven and bake uncovered, until the internal temp reaches 165f (75c), about 30 - 35 minutes.
While the chicken is baking make the gravy, add the veggies, then let it slowly simmer until the chicken is ready.
As a final step to the gravy, add a tablespoon of sweet butter, unsalted, and combine. This will make the gravy silky smooth.
PLATE/PRESENT
Add a piece of the chicken; along with some of the cooked rice to a plate.
Ladle on the gravy and veggies, then serve while nice and warm. Enjoy.
Keep the faith, and keep cooking.