Chicken and Rice

*From Cooking Light magazine*

1 T. olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

3/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

2 C. chopped onion

1 carrot, thinly sliced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 C. long-grain white rice

Cooking spray

1 C. fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1/4 C. water

3 T. heavy whipping cream

1/3 C. grated fress pecorino Romano cheese (I used parmesan)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add 4 chicken thighs to pan; saute 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3. Add onion and carrot to pan; saute 4 min. Add mushrooms; saute 5 min. Add garlic; saute 1 min. Spoon rice mixture into a 13 x 9 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; stir in broth, water, and cream. Arrange chicken over rice mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bak at 350 degrees for 45 min. or until chicken is done. Yield: 4 servings.

My take: I really liked this. It's like a twist to the basic chicken and rice recipe, but I like this one more. The parmesan cheese added a new flavor, and I liked the overall flavor mixture. I thought parmesan worked great in place of the Romano cheese. I'd definitely make this recipe again.