One Skillet Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice is an easy, family-friendly dinner that only takes one dish!
Now that the school year is back in full swing, I’ve been feeling a pull to be more deliberate and organized with my meal planning. During the summer, a lot of times we just do dinner on the fly. It’s easy to grab some meat and veggies, throw it on the grill, and call it dinner. It’s also fun to pack a dinner of PB&J’s and chips go to a park, and have a picnic, or hit up a patio for happy hour. With cooler weather and earlier sunsets, it’s just the season that we choose to get cozy and stay home. Does anyone else love hygge season?!
To go along with the cozy theme, I’ve been loving Instant Pot and one-skillet recipes lately. I love the Instant Pot because, well, what’s not to love? Dinner usually takes less than 30 minutes and minimal dishes get dirty. I love one skillet recipes because you only get one dish dirty. I guess I just really love not doing dishes.
If your family is anything like ours, this One Skillet Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice is one of those recipes you will go back to again and again. We love it for so many reasons.
For one, it’s so easy. You sauté, add the rice and liquid, and let it simmer. Add the cheese and dinner is served! Did I mention it’s all in one skillet? One dish to clean!
Second, my kids go crazy for it. Lars, my little vegetarian-except-for-bacon, picks out the chicken but he loves the cheesy rice and always begs me for more broccoli. Hey, I’ll take it. Soren, my little tank, gobbles it all up. He makes a huge mess but, when doesn’t he?! I’m seriously considering investing in one of those little robot moppers for my kitchen floor, and this dish might be the reason why.
Lastly, it’s made with all real ingredients. You won’t find any cream of chicken soup cans in this recipe. The rice is creamy from a combination of milk and cheese and is it ever creamy! You can use whatever kind of cheddar cheese in this recipe, or really any kind of cheese you’re into. I used mild cheddar so it wasn’t too sharp for the boys, but I think sharp cheddar, white cheddar, or even cheddar jack would be delicious!
Do we need any more reasons to make this One Skillet Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice? What about the fact that leftovers are stellar? We had this for lunch (and dinner!) the next day and it was just as good as it was the night before. Pro tip: add a splash of milk before you microwave it, and it will make it a little creamier, as the rice has likely soaked up a lot of the liquid in the refrigerator.
One Skillet Mexican Chicken and Rice
One Skillet Creamy Kale and Bacon Gnocchi
One Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
One Skillet Creamy Caprese Gnocchi
Pressure Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup