A New Spin on Chicken & Rice {10 WW+ Dinner}

I took some chicken out of the freezer yesterday and placed it in the fridge but had no idea what I was going to do with it. I had made a simple meal that night of breaded tilapia, low fat scalloped potatoes and steamed veggies so I knew I wanted an equally simple meal for tonight. 


Around mid-day today my husband asked me to make Chicken ala King. I had no idea what this entailed so he went searching through our various cook books to see if the dish he thought he knew was truly what he was envisioning. But his search got cut short when he found this simple chicken and rice dish in our Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook. This cookbook is awesome for a variety of reasons but the most important one being that it is simple and to the point. So I had no problem trying out this recipe... with a few modifications to fit our needs and my Weight Watchers lifestyle. 


Oh, and just a note, I almost always dice up a few onions at once and put 1/2 cup portions in baggies to freeze. The onions I used in this recipe were used from the freezer. I just threw them in the pan still frozen and they thawed wonderfully. I also do this with bell peppers and get great results.

Inspiration: America's Test Kitchen

Skillet Chicken and Rice

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1/2
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• sprinkle chile powder
• sprinkle cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup water (or dry white wine)
• 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, browned side up, and set aside.

Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet and swirl to melt. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water (or wine) and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken in the rice, browned side up, and add any accumulated juices from the plate. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160-165 degrees, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8-12 minutes longer.

Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with chicken.

Serves 4 | 10 WW+ Points