Recipe W.O.W. Re-DO #4: Baked Chicken and Rice

My mom went through a lot of cooking phases as we grew up. A few that I remember most vividly were the "stir fry" months (she really made us respect the wok!), and the "sprouting" period (our laundry room became a veritable greenhouse for sprouts of all kinds), and the "juicing" stage (I still LOVE carrot juice because of this one! Celery juice on the other hand...), and in more recent years, the "bundt cake" phase (every family gathering was a new bundt surprise... Sometimes she would make 2 or 3 at the same time just to taste test them!).

What I didn't know as a child during all of these phases, which were so exciting and fun for us, was how much work it was! Just to get a home-cooked dinner on the table each night is a major accomplishment in my world, and I'm sure with 3 little girls within 4 years under foot, was an incredible feat for my mom! But overarching all of her cooking ins and outs, there are a few recipes that were our family "classics". Deliciously simple flavors, easy to put together, readily available ingredients, crowd pleasers; everyone in the family loved them. These were the ones that withstood the test of time; and my mom still makes them a lot. The only downside to these classics is that some of their ingredients are... well let's just say that they've been on my black list for several years. You know the typical 60's-90's era offenders? Condensed cream soups, the Oh-so-msg-fruitful Powdered Soup Mixes, trans-fat shortenings, and stuff like that. So of course, these were some of the first ones on my list to Re-Do. It's been tricky, but I've been playing around with a few of them, and I think I've finally got this one to a point that momma would still be proud to claim it as her own.

Katy's Baked Chicken and Rice

(please forgive me for some of these amounts... they may not be exact)

Either 1 whole chicken, cut up, or 1 large pkg bone-in, (that's right not boneless!) thighs, breasts, and legs (should be about 6-8 pieces, depending on the size and cut, the last time I made this I used only thighs and legs)

1 pckg whole baby portabella or crimini mushrooms, sliced thin or small dice
1 onion, chopped fine

2 heaping TB dehydrated onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 heaping tsp salt
28 oz carton good quality chicken broth (I love Imagine or Pacific organic brands, the taste difference is huge)
2 cups sour cream

2 cups basmati rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet, add the mushrooms and onions, drizzle well with olive oil; saute down until translucent and golden.


In a bowl, combine dehydrated onion, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chicken broth, and sour cream; whisk until smooth. In a 9X13 pan (I use metal for this, but I think you can use glass) place rice, mushroom and onion, and broth mixture; stir to combine. Nestle chicken pieces down into the rice. Turn to coat the top of the chicken pieces, but if you're pan is deep enough, you should only have a little bit of the chicken showing above the rice mixture. Bake uncovered, 60-90 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear and rice is light and fluffy.

I bet you didn't think it was going to be this simple! That's my mom's style... and I tried not to add anything fancy to change the straight-forward flavor. Now, I know that bone-in meat is out of fashion, but it really effects the flavor and cooking time of this dish, so just enjoy the savings! I bet you could even do this with all drumsticks... kids love those.

Side note: My family growing up ALWAYS adds sour cream to top this on their plates. We were almost addicted to sour cream... I've since tried to refrain from doing that, and I think this still comes out moist and flavorful... but if you are the type that wants your rice to be creamy, a dollop will do ya, as they say. Pair with green beans, jell-0, and a green salad with homemade buttermilk dressing, and you've got a classic Rosenhan family Sunday meal. Here's to you, Mom! Happy Birthday!