Arroz Con Pollo

Ah, the quintessential gringo meal... Found at every Mexican-American chain restaurant. Why? It's mild, not overly intimidating, and fills the comfort spot in our souls that demands creamy, cheesy, chicken-y goodness. This particular meal is one of my husband's favorite, and even our 10-month-old loves it. It's not spicy, just nicely spiced, and it keeps the chicken breast meat tender and juicy with this type of cooking. The greatest part? One pot, which means easy clean-up afterwards.

Easy one-pot Arroz Con Pollo
Serves 8 hungry people

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 ½ c Arborio rice
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, seeds and membrane removed, minced
2 ½ c chicken or vegetable stock
2 small cans mushrooms, undrained OR 1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms*
1 ½ lbs diced tomatoes, undrained
3 large chicken breasts, diced
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
1 pkg enchilada sauce
1 c sour cream
4 c grated Colby jack cheese

• In a 14” non-stick skillet or large sauce pot, melt butter and olive oil together
• Pour rice into pan and start stirring rice occasionally
• Let cook until just turning brown, and add about 4 Tbsp of the stock
• Stir through the rice, and add another 4 Tbsp when the first 4 are absorbed
• Add the onion, chile and garlic, and stir completely, keeping everything moving fairly quickly
• Once a light to medium brown color is achieved on the rice, add the mushrooms (*if using fresh mushrooms, add about ½ c extra of stock) and tomatoes
• Add chicken breast
• Add seasonings (Except the enchilada sauce)
• Add the remaining stock
• Let simmer about 20 minutes, covered, checking rice every so often for tenderness
• If necessary, add extra stock and continue to cook until rice is tender
• Add enchilada sauce and sour cream and stir completely
• Add cheese and mix together completely
• Serve with warm tortillas or tortilla chips

You can kick up the heat on this by leaving the seeds and membrane of the chile intact. Remember, if you are not used to dealing with them, you should use some food-grade gloves and wash your hands, the cutting board and the knife thoroughly after you are finished with it.