Cheesy Chicken & Rice with Cream Sauce

I threw this together tonight with everything I had left in the fridge...it's time for groceries. This turned out great in spite.

Ingredients: 

2 T oil
3 Chicken breasts
6 Celery stalks and leaves
8 Carrots (Katya & David love carrots, you could cut down if you like)
1 White or Yellow Onion
3 C chicken broth
1.5 C milk
5 T butter
3/4 C jasmine rice or other long grain rice
2 T cornstarch
Couple shakes of nutmeg
1 C cheddar cheese (Swiss would be good, too)
Fresh Parsley (dried will do)
Fresh Thyme (dried will do)
Note: if you are using dried herbs add them when you do the chicken broth to the rice, they will soften up when the rice cooks.

Rice, veggies and chicken mixture before cream sauce.

Cream sauce.

Directions: 
 I add salt to each layer as I cook to ensure the flavors come out of each ingredient.

1. In a skillet with oil sear the chicken breast on both sides (this gives great flavor)
2. Add 1 C chicken broth to the chicken and cover.
3. Chop celery, carrots, onion into small pieces and add to chicken, keep covered. Add chicken broth if needed.
4. Rinse rice thoroughly until water runs clear.
5. In a dutch oven melt 3T butter.
6. Add rice to butter and stir until the tips are translucent.
7. Add 1.5 C chicken broth to the rice.
8. Transfer the chicken to a cutter board when done. 
9. Transfer vegetables to the rice mixture, stir and cover on low for 20 minutes. 
10. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.
11. Using skillet add 1.5 cups milk and 2T butter.
12. Mix 2T cornstarch with 4T chicken stock and whisk.
13. Whisk cornstarch mixture into milk and butter mixture and whisk constantly until thickened.
14. Add couple shakes of nutmeg and 1/2 C cheese.
15. Add chicken to veggetable and rice mixture when the rice is tender to taste.
16. Add cream sauce to chicken and rice mixture.
17. Add fresh herbs to taste. 
18. Top with the remaining cheese and enjoy!

Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Rice

I made this on the fly tonight for supper; I had chicken breasts out but didn't know what to make with them until I opened the fridge to see what else I had. Mushrooms, Spinach and left over rice. This will make something good I thought...

Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Rice
These are approximate ingredients (I made it on the fly, remember?)

3 Chicken breasts
1 Onion
1 Shallot
1 Package mushrooms
4 Cups raw spinach
2-3 Cups rice (I used jasmine, but I think brown rice would give it a great nutty flavor.)
4 T butter
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Cilantro
1-2 Shots Dry Sherry
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook the chicken in oil on the stove top in a large pan (enough to hold everything when it's done.) Place in a bowl, leaving juices in the pan.
2. Add the onion and shallots, cook until almost tender.
3. Add mushrooms to the onion mixture.
4. Add 4 T butter to the onion mixture and let melt.
5. Add spinach to the mixture.
6. Add dry sherry or whatever you've got on hand.
7. Cook until spinach is wilted.
8. Add rice.
9. Add cooked chicken. Heat throughouly.

Top with Parmesan cheese or whatever you've got that sounds good.

Katya (4.5) and David (3) loved it and even had seconds! I'm so happy I have kids with a sophisticated  pallet. It makes my time in the kitchen so much more rewarding and tasty, too!