One Pan Broccoli Rice and Chicken
Try this One Pan Broccoli Rice and Chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this One Pan Broccoli Rice and Chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 cups milk
- 5 tbsp. butter
- 2 cups instant rice
- 1 cup colby jack cheese shredded
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 8 oz. white mushrooms sliced
- 1 lb. chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 4 tbsp. flour
- 1 teas. oregano
- 1 teas. thyme
- 1 teas. sage
- 1 teas. salt
- 1 teas. black pepper
- 3 cups frozen broccoli florets
- Carbohydrate 461.730317127141 g
- Cholesterol 2875.14911684058 mg
- Fat 1015.62380851539 g
- Fiber 5.78877716722413 g
- Protein 201.118071930066 g
- Saturated Fat 625.465337389956 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (3485g)
- Sodium 8281.52015123831 mg
- Sugar 455.941539959917 g
- Trans Fat 72.7688519123936 g
- Calories 11653 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large nonstick pan over medium heat melt ½ Tbsp. of Butter and Brown 4 oz. of Mushrooms, 6-8 minutes.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Repeat with an additional ½ Tbsp. of Butter and remaining Mushrooms, setting aside with first batch.
- Add the Chicken to the pan and cook stirring occasionally just until there is no pink visible on the outside of the Chicken cubes.
- Remove from the pan and set aside with the Mushrooms.
- Lower the heat to low and melt 4 Tbsp. of butter.
- Sprinkle with the 4 Tbsp. of Flour stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
- Slowly Whisk in the Milk. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer, continue whisking and add the Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Salt and Pepper.
- Cook until thickened.
- Add the Broccoli, Mushrooms and Chicken stirring to coat and return to a simmer.
- Add the Rice and Chicken Stock, stir to combine, return to simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender, -12 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle the top with Colby Jack and cover until the cheese is melted.
- Serve hot.
Swapping instant white rice for long-grain brown rice alters the entire liquid ratio and increases the cook time from twelve minutes to nearly forty-five minutes. Preserved items like frozen broccoli florets release excess water during the simmer phase, which thins out the dairy sauce if not accounted for. Fresh broccoli demands par-blanching to achieve the same tenderness within a short cooking window, whereas frozen florets thaw directly in the stock without extra steps. Managing moisture content remains the primary challenge when combining raw mushrooms and poultry in a single vessel.
Brown the sliced mushrooms in small batches over medium heat to prevent steaming, allowing the natural sugars to caramelize rather than gray in accumulated liquid. Cubing chicken breast into uniform half-inch pieces guarantees even browning without overcooking the exterior before the center finishes. Removing these components from the pan before building the sauce preserves their distinct textures instead of boiling them in dairy. Maintaining moderate heat during this initial searing phase develops the fond required for building deep savory notes.
Creating a stable cream sauce requires cooking the butter and flour paste for exactly two minutes to eliminate raw starch flavors before whisking in the cold milk. Slow incorporation prevents lumps from forming in the roux as the dairy warms and thickens under a gentle simmer. Dried herbs like oregano, thyme, and sage bloom effectively in the thickening liquid, releasing essential oils that fat-based mediums capture efficiently. Whisk constantly during this stage to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Adding instant rice and chicken stock directly into the thickened base creates a closed environment where starches gelatinize uniformly under a tight lid. Trapped steam cooks the grain while absorbing the surrounding flavors of the reduction. Covering the pan tightly traps ambient heat so the colby jack cheese melts evenly within three minutes of removing the burner from the heat source. Letting the finished dish rest for five minutes off the heat stabilizes the starches before serving.
