SEASONED RICE (or brown rice)

      

    

     The night I made Taco Chicken (it's on the web site), I searched Allrecipes for a flavorful, yet easy, rice side dish using brown rice. I searched "Brown Rice" (because that's what I had) and got a recipe that called for white, long grain rice (even though the recipe was called "Brown Rice").  It called for a can of beef broth; I had steak seasoning.  The recipe also called for a 10.5 oz. can of condensed french onion soup - I had Lipton dried onion.  The two things I did have were Worchestershire sauce, dried basil, and 1/4 cup butter.  As usual, I improvised. 

It's what I do.  Mom of four = improvisor.  After all, when are you EVER fully prepared for everything as a mother of that many children going in all different directions?!? 

Flexibility is the mother of invention.  No wait...that's just my philosphy.

Here's what I did:  I used my quick brown rice, 1 tsp. steak seasoning, dried french onion soup, water, worchester, and a teeny bit of basil (because there was already some in my steak seasoning). 

14 oz. canned broth + 10.5 oz. canned onion soup (both ingredients which I did not have = oh let's add a little over 1 pint of water, say 2 1/2 cups.  (1 pint = 16 oz. or two cups just in case you forgot, I still have to remind myself sometimes.)  Turns out, I probably only needed right at 1 pint because the rice turned out a tad bit watery.

The rice was to be baked at 350 for an hour, which meant this was not quick rice we were dealing with.  So, I baked it for 30-40 minutes.  (I say that because I can't remember the exact time, I kept checking the chicken and resetting the timer.)

The result?  Everyone LOVED it!!!  They asked why I'd never made it before.  Definitely a keeper.

I say all that to say this:  don't let a few pesky ingredients hold you back.  Be creative, be flexible, make a decision, go with it.

Now.  I'll give you my version, and their version. You can decide for yourself which one you like.

 

RUTHIE'S SEASONED RICE

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown quick rice
• 1 tsp. steak seasoning
• 1 package dried onion soup
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
• sprinkle of dried basil leaves
• 2 cups water, heated in microwave 1:30 minutes.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine steak seasoning and onion soup in water.
3. Combine all ingredients in 2 qt. casserole dish.
4. Cover and bake 30-40 minutes.

ALL RECIPE'S SEASONED RICE

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 14 oz. can beef broth
• 1 10.5 oz. can condensed french onion soup
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 2 quart casserole dish combine rice, broth, soup, butter, Worcestershire sauce and basil.
3. Bake covered for 1 hour, stirring once after 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8 - let me know which one you prefer!