One-Pot Cheesy "Chicken" and Rice
A stove-top skillet dinner that's so easy you can make it with a toddler hanging off you.
This is one from my childhood that I just cannot get enough of. It’s super easy to make, which now as a mom myself can understand why my own mom made it so much, and it’s delicious. Which made it perfect for our series Easy Peasy, a recipe series where we made dinners that are truly easy peasy.
The original recipe from my childhood was not vegan obviously, but with a few simple swaps this favourite lives on. To replace the chicken in this recipe we use soy curls or TVP chunks (whichever we have on hand at the time) and it’s the perfect chicken substitute.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Made in just one pot.
Packed with flavour the whole family will love.
Finished in under 40 minutes.
Top tips for making one-pot “chicken” and rice:
Use parboiled rice. I don’t make the rules when it comes to this recipe, I just follow it. Growing up it was always made with parboiled rice and since I’ve tried it with multiple different varieties of rice but none of them are the same. So trust me, get the parboiled rice.
Season to taste. This recipe is written based on my own taste buds but if you feel like you need a little more or less, feel free to adjust.
Make ahead for even easier dinner. I love this recipe because it doesn’t need to be made right before dinnertime. In fact I often make this recipe sometime in the afternoon when I have a spare few minutes to whip it all together. Then I let it sit covered on the stove until ready to serve. If you’re making it way ahead of time you’ll likely need to transfer it to the fridge and reheat.
It makes great leftovers. I love this recipe because it reheats really well. So I always make a really big batch so I have lunch leftovers later in the week.
How to make one-pot cheesy “chicken” and rice:
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 30 Min | Total Time: 40 Min
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
400 g (2 cups) long grain par-boiled rice, uncooked
90 g (1 1/2 cups) tvp chunks or soy curls
40 g (3 tbsp) vegan mayo
18 g (1 tbsp) vegetable bouillon paste
8 g (1 tbsp) chili powder
6 g (2 tsp) garlic powder
3 g (1 tsp) onion powder
3 g (1 tsp) cumin
3 g (1 tsp) smoked paprika
4 g (1 tsp) dried sage
1200 mL (5 cups) water
150 g (1 1/4 cups) vegan cheddar, shredded
100 g (3/4 cup) black olives, sliced
200 g (1 1/2 cups) tomatoes, diced
Instructions
Using a kettle, bring water to a boil.
To a deep pot or dutch oven combine rice, tvp chunks/soy curls, vegetable bouillion paste, vegan mayo, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and sage. Pour oven 5 cups of the boiled water and stir until everything is combined.
Turn the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, then remove lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is almost all absorbed.
When the rice looks thick, but a little soup-y still, top with cheddar shreds, diced tomatoes and black olives - cover with lid until cheese is melted the the water is full absorbed by the rice.
Serve warm.