Lemon Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Skillet

Spice Up Your Autumn with This Tasty Recipe

Celebrate the turn of the season with our new featured recipe that makes for a warming autumn dinner or as leftovers for a tasty weekday lunch.

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 yellow onions, chopped

5 whole carrots, chopped

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups basmati rice

½ cup orzo pasta (or gluten-free option)

1 tablespoon dried thyme

3 ½ cups no-sodium chicken stock

2 cups frozen broccoli, warmed to microwave instructions on bag then chopped to bite size

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste *Caution if adding more: It brings the heat!

Zest of 1 lemon

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, or more to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and chopped carrots and cook for 5 minutes.

Season your 1-inch chicken breast cubes with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet. Cook the chicken until golden on all sides – roughly 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in the skillet and add the rice and orzo – toasting for 3 minutes.

Then add the chicken stock, thyme, garlic powder, cayenne, and a dash of black pepper to the mix.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid.

Once the rice is cooked, add in the broccoli pieces, lemon zest and cheddar cheese. Allow the broccoli to warm and the cheese to melt, roughly 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

Spoon the mix into bowls and top with additional thyme, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Estimated Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 789
Total Fat: 23.6g
Sodium: 415mg
Total Carbohydrates: 96.5g
Total Sugar: 5.7g

Protein: 46.1g

Recipe adapted from halfbakedharvest.com