Chicken and rice is one of those simple staple recipes everyone should have on hand. It requires pretty minimal effort and you get a nice, hot, comforting meal at the end. Chicken and rice is also versatile enough that just adding different seasonings and spices can turn the dish into something entirely new. One-pot chicken and rice is one of my go-to meals especially in winter, when the last thing I want to do is spend time in the kitchen after a long day of shriveling up in the weak winter sun. Still, I’m not one to settle for a dry and bland meal in the name of saving time and energy, and you shouldn’t be, either. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to make a low-effort chicken and rice dish with just two canned ingredients: cream of chicken soup and chicken.
Canned cream of chicken soup is a kitchen staple in many households. You can add it to tons of dishes to give them more salt and a meatier taste, while also adding a creamy richness thanks to the dairy in the soup. It’s a big fan favorite with casserole lovers everywhere.
As for canned chicken, it may be a bit of an unknown ingredient that you first face with some hesitance, but it’s no different from eating canned tuna or the beloved classic Spam. Canned chicken isn’t just fully cooked and totally safe to eat; it’s also super moist and well-seasoned, making it a great ingredient for chicken bakes.
The best way to add canned ingredients to your dinner
The best thing about working with canned ingredients is that it really takes no time or effort to add them to a meal. On the days I’m feeling really overwhelmed and don’t want to deal with even heating soup on the stove, I’ll get some leftover cooked rice out of my fridge, add some canned chicken, pour in about a quarter of a can of cream of chicken soup and mix it all together. I’ll pop that into the microwave for around three minutes on high, and bam — a tasty, filling, and super fast dinner. You can even add some frozen veggies for an even more balanced meal.
If you want to be a little fancier, toss your canned chicken and cream of chicken soup with uncooked rice into an oven-safe dish. Add the water from the can and a little extra broth if need be, since you want a 1:1 ratio of liquid to rice. Cover your dish and pop the whole thing in the oven at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 90 minutes, stirring every half hour. Once the rice is cooked, bake for another 15 minutes uncovered to get a nice golden top. Whichever option you go for, you’ll be thanking past you for buying your chicken (and cream of chicken) canned.
