Mom's Savory Chicken and Rice: Comfort Food When You Need It

She asked for Chicken and Rice.  PRINCESS had been quite ill.  Her stomach was very delicate at this point, but she wanted my Savory Chicken and Rice.

Quick Fix Savory Chicken and Rice

If you have kids, you know what it feels like to get one of 'those' phone calls.  My kiddos are grown now, so I can tell you this: the sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach doesn't feel much different to a parent who gets one of 'those' phone calls, no matter the age of the offspring.  Yep, I'd gotten one of 'those' phone calls.  My son-in-law called to tell me my (grown-up) baby girl was in the hospital.  She'd gotten food poisoning from a fast-food restaurant.

They needed our help.  Our granddaughter, BELLE, had a soccer game.  She and her Dad needed to be at the game.  PRINCESS was soon to be released from the hospital.  She and COCHISE, our grandson, needed Nanny and Papa to come to the rescue.  COCHISE needed looking after, and so did his Mommy.

Princess had been able to hold down some fluids and crackers, but she was hungry.  She hadn't eaten a thing in over 24 hours.  I asked her if she wanted some jello or soup.  No!  She wanted my Chicken and Rice!   I don't know about you, but when my kids are sick I'll say yes to ALMOST anything...just to try and make them feel better.  

Truthfully, I was a tiny bit thrilled.  NOT because she was sick.  That was awful.  I was happy because she wanted ME to fix her some Chicken and Rice.  This girl always wanted her DADDY when she was sick.  Hey, she wanted ME and she wanted me to fix her some Chicken and Rice.  In the south, we call that a 'two-fer'.  I wasn't sure she was ready for any solid food yet, but I was willing to do almost ANYTHING to make her feel better.  ESPECIALLY this time.

The problem I had was time.  I was at work till 5:00 p.m.  Her house was a 30 minute drive from my workplace.  BELLE and her Dad had to be at the soccer field by 7:00 p.m.  By the time I got to their house, sent HUBBY to the store to get the ingredients for the Traditional Savory Chicken and Rice, got it prepped and served it to PRINCESS, it would be bedtime.  PRINCESS needed to eat sooner than that.  

Necessity is the mother of invention, right?  HUBBY suggested that we substitute ready to eat store bought rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken breasts ourselves.  That would speed things up by at least an hour.  

Ready-To-Eat Rotisserie Chicken

Now all I had to do was figure out how to make the rice taste the same as it did when we cooked it with the chicken and other ingredients.   Hmmm....according to our experts...nailed it! 

I'm sharing the Quick Fix Savory Chicken and Rice Recipe with you, as well as the Traditional Savory Chicken and Rice Recipe.

Quick Fix Version: Blend rice, soups, and water in large saucepan.

Quick Fix Savory Chicken and Rice

1 Fresh, Warm, Ready to Eat Rotisserie Chicken 
1 1/4 Cups Long Grain White Rice
1 Can Campbell's French Onion Soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 1/2 Cans Water

Add rice, soups, and water to large saucepan and stir well.  Cook on high heat on stove top until liquid begins to boil, then turn heat down to simmer, cover, and stir frequently until rice is cooked.  (If you don't stir frequently, the rice will stick to the bottom of the pan.) Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  Rice mixture is done when the rice is soft and creamy.  Don't try to cook ALL the liquid out or it will be too dry.

While the rice mixture is cooking, remove the skin and bone from the chicken meat.  Tear or cut the chicken meat into bite size morsels.  Discard the skin and bone.  After the rice mixture is done, stir the chicken meat into the rice.  Yummy deliciousness.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Traditional Savory Chicken and Rice

4 to 6 Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Long Grain White Rice
1 Can Campbell's French Onion Soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
3 Cans Water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add rice to the bottom of the pot.  For bone-in chicken breasts, remove skin from chicken breasts.  Place chicken breasts bone side down on top of rice.  Discard skin.  Pour Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken Soup over chicken breasts and rice.  Pour French Onion Soup over the top of other soups, chicken, and rice.  Pour all three cans of water over the top of everything, one can at a time.  DO NOT STIR!  Place lid on pot and bake in oven for about 1 1/2 hours until chicken is done and rice has absorbed most of the liquid.   Don't try to cook ALL the liquid out or it will be too dry.  Yummy deliciousness.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

For flavor variety, you could add a cup of fresh baby carrots and/or a cup of chopped celery.  Just put them directly on top of the chicken BEFORE you add the soups and water and bake as usual. 

This recipe is shared at The Country Cook: Weekend Potluck #37 and The Gunny Sack Link Party #56. Click on the links to see many more wonderful recipes.