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Homemade Rice-A-Roni with Feta and Chives

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Homemade Rice-A-Roni with Feta and Chives

Roberta Reynolds
How are you? I hope you are well and happy, and making some sense of this new reality of ours. Are you creating new daily routines? We are setting into our new schedules, bit by bit. We live out in the woods and have traded in our daily trip to the gym ‘in town’ for long walks along country roads. I have exchanged daily grocery shopping trips for attempting to work through the inventory of long forgotten things in my freezer (this has proven to have plusses and minuses). Even though grocery shopping is extremely limited these days, I still cannot resist snooping in the aisles to see what seem to be the items most in demand. One thing is for certain – you are a lucky individual if you can find any pasta or rice on the shelves. It appears that all of our hoarding instincts have zeroed in on those comforting carbohydrates. If you are someone who has an abundance of pasta and rice, and now can’t stand the thought of cooking either the same familiar way again, here’s a new approach. Here we have a homemade version of Rice-A-Roni. This recipe was developed one night when I realized there wasn’t enough left-over rice for dinner, so a trip to the pantry turned up some spaghetti. After breaking the spaghetti into about 1-inch pieces, I sautéed it in a skillet until toasty and brown, added some broth and other assorted things and cooked till tender. In went the rice and there you have it. Something about the creaminess of the pasta vs. the chewy bite of the rice that makes me keep going back for another bite. Another good thing about this recipe is that it works with either left over pasta or rice, and besides that you can add anything else you like. Oh!! And if you add some feta cheese and stir in just until it melts – let’s just say I had to go lay down after eating almost an entire pan full.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 generous servings

Ingredients
  

  • IF YOU ARE USING LEFTOVER RICE
  • 2 cups leftover rice use either brown or white rice, but just so you know, leftover brown rice will give you a chewier texture
  • 2 cups of uncooked spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces
  • Approximately 1 tablespoon of neutral oil or butter
  • 4-5 cups chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Approximately 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (I usually use the Aloha brand – that Kikkoman stuff is super salty so if you use it, you’ll want to start with 1 tablespoon and go from there
  • 1 cup more or less depending on what you prefer Feta cheese (If you aren’t a feta fan, just peek into your refrigerator and get some other kind that you like better. And it’s no problem if you skip the cheese altogether)
  • ½ cup thinly sliced chives or green onion
  • IF YOU ARE USING LEFTOVER PASTA
  • 1 cup uncooked rice use either brown or white rice, but just so you know brown rice will give you a chewier texture
  • 2 cups of leftover cooked spaghetti cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4-5 cups chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Approximately 1 tablespoon of neutral oil or butter
  • Approximately 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (I usually use the Aloha brand – that Kikkoman stuff is super salty so if you use it, you’ll want to start with 1 tablespoon and go from there
  • 1 cup more or less depending on what you prefer Feta cheese (If you aren’t a feta fan, just peek into your refrigerator and get some other kind that you like better. And it’s no problem if you skip the cheese altogether)
  • ½ cup thinly sliced chives or green onion

Instructions
 

  • IF YOU ARE USING LEFTOVER RICE
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter in a skillet until bubbling. Add the broken spaghetti pieces and sauté until the pasta begins to brown.
  • Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed. Check to see if the pasta is cooked through, and if not add more broth (probably ½ cup or so).
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the cooked rice and soy sauce and stir to combine everything.
  • Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  • Stir in the feta cheese (if using), and heat until the cheese is melted.
  • Add chives or green onion to the top of your creation and serve immediately.
  • IF YOU ARE USING LEFTOVER PASTA
  • Cook 2 cups of either brown rice or white rice according to package directions.
  • After rice is cooked, heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter in a skillet until bubbling. Add the rice and soy sauce and stir to combine.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the cooked spaghetti and stir to combine everything.
  • Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  • Stir in the feta cheese (if using), and heat until the cheese is melted.
  • Add chives or green onion to the top of your creation and serve immediately.

One of the things I really like about this side dish is that it can go with just about anything, so feel free to be as creative as you want. I love it with roast chicken, but have also been known to stir in leftover cooked chicken sausage and turn him into a main dish. If you happen to have any fresh herbs, now would be the time to toss some in, and you can always add your favorite dried herbs or other flavorings too. I always add soy sauce into the mix because it gives a deeper flavor somehow – but not too much or you’ll have a total salt bomb on your hands.

And then there’s the feta….if you can lay your hands on some French Feta, all the better. It’s a lot creamier than the Greek stuff (which is also excellent by the way), and melts right into the middle of things.

All in all, a good way to use some leftovers, and to put a whole new spin on everyday pasta or rice. This guy is comfort food, and that’s a pretty positive thing right about now. Hope you like this one!! And thanks so much for reading today. I really appreciate it. Take care and be safe. Until next time…. xoxoxo

Hello. I’m Roberta Reynolds.

I’m so glad you dropped in! Welcome to Bird’s Nest Bakery and Café, a collection of ‘made from scratch’, seasonal recipes developed in my home kitchen. I’ve been obsessed with creating the easiest and most delicious recipes possible since I could reach the top of a stove.

I hope you’ll find this site a welcome and relaxing place where you can come for inspiration and ideas. Take a look, have fun, and feel free to modify these recipes to suit your particular palate. It would make me so happy if you would share these recipes with friends and family. After all, cooking and baking are meant to be shared with those we care about. That’s what’s so much fun about it!