Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bake

Feeds 4 - 5

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Kicking off poultry week with a big vat of cheesy chicken and broccoli rice bake! I make this dish all the time because it creates little mess and makes so much food! It's easy to store for a couple of days in the fridge and simply delicious.

I'm writing this as I watch a tv show where police detain skinny drunk dudes on the streets of Britain and I just keep thinking - they probably could do with some protein. DON'T END UP DRUNK ON TV WITHOUT SOME BULK ON YOU. YOU WILL REGRET IT FOREVER.

In all seriousness though, this is a great meal for families or bulk cooking, and it's pretty damn simple to make. Go start poultry week off the right way and make this dish!

PRO TIPS

• I used 3 stock cubes (I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT BUT IT MAKES A LOT)

• You can skip the cheese for a healthier dish but I would recommend using a starchier rice so that you can still create that creamy, risotto consistency.

• You don't need as much stock if you are using white rice. Dependent on the grain you want to use, look up how much water/stock it takes to cook it.

• Keep adding stock until the rice is fully cooked and has a slightly stodgy consistency.

• You can add some mushrooms in at the end. Toast up some chopped mushrooms and mix them through.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 2 chicken breasts

• 2 teaspoons of salt

• 2 teaspoons of pepper

• 1 large white onion, chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced

• 2 cups of brown rice, rinsed in cold water

• 5-6 cups of chicken stock/broth

• 1/3 cup of a dry white wine

• 1.5 cup of frozen peas

• 1 head of broccoli

• 1 cup of mature cheddar

• 1 cup of Double Gloucester

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220℃ (428℉).

2. Place chicken breasts on a baking tray and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Place in the oven for 18 minutes. Once out of the oven shred the chicken with two forks. Put your oven on grill mode ready for when the rice goes in.

3. Meanwhile, sauté your chopped onion in a large pot over a medium-low heat. Once softened (about 8 minutes), sauté your garlic for 1 minute then pour in your rice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Sauté for 1 minute then pour in your white wine. After 10 minutes add in your stock. It will take a while for your rice to soak up the water as brown rice takes a while - about 40 minutes. (If your chicken is a bit dry or not to your liking, you can pop it in the pot to cook through or soften whilst the rice cooks!).

4. When your rice is almost done - make sure there is still a little bit of stock in the pot - mix in the frozen peas and place the broccoli on top of the rice and close the lid to steam the broccoli. Once the broccoli is soft and the stock is almost all gone take the pot off the heat - about 5 minutes.

5. Stir through the chicken and half the cheeses. Put the mixture in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top Put the baking dish in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes until the cheeses are golden on top.

6. ET VOILAA ENJOY!!

Stay Salty,

Romy xx