Yes, this dinner is simple to make, not horrendously expensive, and it's great for feeding hungry people with things you probably have on hand (or at least can find easily). The meal also is low in fat and "diabetic friendly" with plenty of protein, vegetables, and whole-grain fiber. You can prepare the dinner on the top of the stove, in a skillet, in about half an hour. I use leftover chicken, but you can substitute cooked turkey or even cooked ground turkey. Similarly, I use wild rice in the dish, but you can use a wild rice blend that cooks in 20-30 minutes, if you'd prefer. This is a flexible dinner! The combination of chicken, rice, vegetables, and a creamy-cheesy sauce is comforting, filling, and incredibly tasty for something so simple. The skillet meal is great served with a simple salad and bread or muffins, and leftovers from the skillet dinner reheat well in the microwave for lunches. Enjoy!
Chicken and Wild Rice Skillet -- Serves 4+
2-3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of sliced or chopped carrots
1/2 cup of chopped celery
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms (the white button or "baby bellas")
1/2 cup of wild rice, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of chicken reduced sodium Better Than Bullion
2 - 3 cups of cooked chopped chicken or turkey (or use cooked ground turkey)
2 - 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley (or use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley)
1 cup of milk whisked with 2 tablespoons of white whole-wheat flour
1 - 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of shredded Swiss/Gruyere cheese
Parsley to garnish, optional
In a large skillet (preferably non-stick) heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Saute the veggies for 5-10 minutes until they soften. Stir in the wild rice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, water, and Better Than Bullion. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the mixture for about 20 minutes or until the rice is soft. Stir in the chopped chicken and the parsley. Whisk the milk/flour mixture again and stir it into the skillet. Stir until the sauce thickens a bit and then stir in the cheeses. Cook the mixture for 4-5 minutes, stirring it periodically, until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened to your liking. You can garnish the mixture with additional parsley if you like (I usually don't bother, and no one has complained). Serve the meal from the skillet for easy clean-up.
Comments