One-Pot Arroz con Pollo

I bought a new cookbook to help kick-off my New Recipes for October campaign - any excuse to buy a new cookbook is a good excuse!!  One of the recipes I was really excited to try was this One-Pot Arroz con Pollo - I have no idea how to pronounce it but I knew Eric would love it.  I'm not a big fan of tomato-based dishes or of rice really (unless it's Fried Rice), but Eric loves both tomatoes and rice so I try to incorporate a few dishes for when I eat out or don't feel like eating dinner.  Even though it was supposed to be for October I made it a few days early, and since it made so much I have freezer meals to use next month! 

I have to say that I was surprised at just how much Eric liked this - I made it on Friday and he has already had leftovers twice (He said the leftovers were even better than the first night).  This dish made enough that I have 2 more meals in the freezer for him, which makes this a really cost effective meal.

The cookbook I got it from is The Mom 100 Cookbook by Katie Workman.  I will probably be sharing a bunch of recipes from the cookbook, but I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try simple delicious recipes.

One-Pot Arroz con Pollo

3 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used 1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast)

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1½ cups short grain rice (I used regular long rice)
1 cooked pork kielbasa (14-16 oz.), diced (I left this out)
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used half chicken broth and half vegetable broth)
2 bay leaves (oops - I forgot to get this so I left it out)
½ tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
¼ tsp. saffron threads
1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
1 cup sliced roasted red peppers (optional) (I didn't add this , but I bet Eric would have liked it)
¼ cup chopped fresh italian (flat-leaf) parsley (optional)

Cut the chicken into chunks about 2 by 2 inches. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Using a large skillet with a lid, brown all of the chicken and set aside, using 1-2 Tbsp of oil as needed.  The chicken does not need to be cooked through.  If there is a build up of fat and pan juice pour it into a bowl and set aside as well (I didn't have enough to do this, but thought maybe it was because I used breasts instead of thighs).

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, shallot, carrots, and bell pepper until they start to soften, add the garlic and cook until you can really smell the garlic, about 1 minute.  Add the rice and the kielbasa (if using) and stir until the rice starts to turn slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the can of tomatoes and the broth, then add the bay leaves, paprika, and saffron. Stir well. Cover the skillet, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until the rice has begun to absorb the liquid. 

Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice and drizzle any juices that have accumulated on the plate over the chicken. If you have any set aside, pour off any fat that has separated from the reserved pan juices and add the darker liquid from the bottom of the container to the skillet. Cover the skillet again and let simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender, and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 12-15 minutes.

Remove the lid, sprinkle the peas on top, and drape the roasted pepper (if using) attractively over the top. Cover the skillet and cook until the peas (and peppers) are heated through, about 2 minutes.

I tried the chicken and it was really good!!  I think next time I will add the full amount of chicken so I can eat it as well.

 

Have a great day!

Beth