If I’d known how easy it is to make a copycat of the great side dish, Rice-A-Roni, I would’ve already been making it for years. Rice-A-Roni was a staple in our house when I was growing up. For some reason I loved the smell of the seasoning packet that came with Rice-A-Roni. This recipe is a spot-on copy of what I remember, from the seasoning to the aroma to the texture, all using ingredients that I always have on hand.
Great By Itself. Really.
I could actually eat Rice-A-Roni (the original or this copycat) by itself. But, given the chance, I like to cover it in a generous amount of gravy. It’s like chicken and rice soup I guess. Mighty tasty chicken and rice soup at that.
Chicken base can be found by the chicken broth or bouillon in the grocery store. I love the flavor of chicken base, so I added a bit more than the teaspoon that the recipe calls for.
My bacony chicken and rice (leaving out the rice) is fantastic over this rice. Beyond fantastic, really.
Copycat Rice-A-Roni
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup white rice long-grain
- ½ cup angel hair pasta broken into small pieces. or thin spaghetti pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chicken base
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the rice and pasta and saute until lightly browned, stirring often.
- Add the broth, chicken base, parsley and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid. If there is still liquid to be absorbed leave the lid off for a few minutes.
- Fluff rice before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
