I had been in a recipe rut, just making the same things over and over. Starting my Etsy shop has been pure joy, but keeping house, homeschooling, cooking, and building inventory for a shop all together, is a big job. I have been so distracted, even meal planning slipped, and when that happens, you end up ordering take out more, and paying full price for groceries.
Not only had I not been meal planning well, but my youngest will only eat homemade bread. She says anything other than homemade tastes like sawdust. It’s sort of true, but there are weeks when I just can’t make it happen. The same goes for granola bars, and treats. My family is used to the fresh taste of homemade, and I need to get back on the ball, although sometimes they just need to settle! Not only does homemade taste better, but it’s healthier and less expensive. My solution to balance is putting myself back on a housekeeping schedule, and yes I do have a baking day!
Ok, confession is done, so let’s talk about one of my new favorite recipes, Buffalo Chicken “Risotto.” I put the risotto in quotes, because it’s not made with short grain rice, but it’s creamy just like risotto. Have you ever wondered why you aren’t supposed to stir rice when cooking? The starches release when you stir rice, making it creamy. This also has cheese, which gives it a very risotto-like flavor. The cheese quells the kick from the buffalo sauce, which is important when you are feeding kids.
This dish is perfect for my “go to” list, because it’s quick, easy, and made all in one pot. You put everything in uncooked, even the chicken, and boil away. My daughter Anna’s favorite dinner is a lo mein One Pot Wonder. This is another must try.
I can’t recommend this recipe enough, and even made it two weeks in a row. The first time, my family was fighting over who gets leftovers, and in their zeal, directed me triple the recipe next time. There are only four of us, so I only doubled, which still makes a mountain of food. You might be concerned about the spice level in feeding kids. My 10 year-old has a low tolerance for spice, and even she ate it. Just put some cheese on top of your kids’ serving to take the spice down. As for me, I put on extra buffalo sauce on mine. If we didn’t have little ones, I would increase the sauce in this recipe by 1/4 cup, but I like lots of spice. I served this with fresh celery, carrots, and Ranch dressing on the side.
Spice up your meal rotation with this easy dish!
Buffalo Chicken “Risotto”
2 lbs cubed chicken breast
5 1/2 to 6 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup minced onion
1 dry packet of Ranch dressing mix
2 cups uncooked white rice
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Add all ingredients, except the cheese, to a Dutch oven.
Cover, bring to a boil, and turn to simmer.
Stir. This should take about 30 minutes to cook, but occasionally stir the mixture to make sure rice isn’t sticking to the bottom, and broth is incorporated. Start out with 5 cups of stock, and add more if necessary. When the rice is nice and soft, take off the burner and stir in cheese.
Taste to see if salt is needed, and serve!
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