One-Pan Creamy Chicken and Rice
An old favorite gets a few upgrades! This chicken and rice dish has a creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and fresh broccoli and all of it cooks up in just one pan on the stovetop. It’s a hearty and comforting dinner for two on a chilly night.
- Author: April @ Girl Gone Gourmet
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
- 8-ounce chicken breast
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallot
- 1/4 cup of white wine
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
- 1/2 cup long grain white rice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
- Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to about 1/2″ thickness. This will ensure it cooks evenly. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook it on one side for four to five minutes, or until it’s browned and is no longer sticks to the pan. Cook it on the other side for a few minutes, or until it’s cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board.
- In the same pan, cook the shallot until it’s fragrant, about a minute or so. Add the wine to the pan and stir. As the wine simmers, scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the broccoli florets and stir. Cook the florets for five minutes or until they start to cook down and lose their moisture.
- Add the chicken stock and the thyme leaves. Adjust the heat to medium-high and bring the stock to a boil. Add the rice and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and simmer the rice for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender. If needed, you can add up to a 1/4 cup of chicken stock if your pan gets too dry before the rice is done.
- While the rice cooks, slice the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Once the rice is tender and the liquid in the pan is absorbed, add the chicken to the pan and stir to combine. Add the cream and cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese has melted. If needed, add another tablespoon of cream to thin the sauce if yours is too thick.
Notes
- I tested this recipe several times using a 10-inch skillet. If you use a different sized skillet you may need to adjust the amount of chicken stock so that the rice cooks properly.
- A note about salt: I found the only added salt the dish needs is the amount needed to generously season the chicken before cooking it because the chicken stock I used had plenty of salt in it already. That said, depending on the kind of chicken stock you use it’s always a good practice to taste as you go and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- The leftovers keep well in the refrigerator up to a day or so. To reheat, just pop them in the microwave. If needed, add a little bit of cream to reactivate the creaminess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 of Recipe
- Calories: 537
- Sugar: 8.1g
- Fat: 29.9g
- Carbohydrates: 30.9g
- Fiber: 6.3g
- Protein: 36.2g
Keywords: one-pan creamy chicken and rice, cheesy chicken and recipe recipe