Does anyone else remember the Rice-A-Roni song. Oh, I loved it! They should bring it back. “The San Francisco treat.” Was it even made in San Francisco? I don’t care. I like it. It’s one of few boxed dishes I can truly say, I enjoy. Thank you Mr. DeDomenico. Your pilaf idea is awesome. However, it does take 20 minutes to cook, which seems like an eternity when you only have 5, but, with a little planning, Rice-A-Roni Chicken bake basically cooks itself.

You can use chicken legs, quarters, thighs or breast. Perfect for soccer practice nights. If I start the dish before we leave, by the time we get home, it’s done, ready to serve to one starving soccer player and one super starving 2 year old spectator. Add some fresh veggies and dip or a simple salad and it’s dinner in a flash!

Rice-A-Roni Chicken Bake:

4 quarters or 8 chicken legs – $4.09
1 box Rice-a-Roni, chicken flavor – $.89
1/4 cup white rice, calrose or long grain – $.30
1 2/3 cup water
Seasoning (for the chicken):
1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper – pantry
2 tsps Garlic powder – pantry
1 tsp Salt – pantry
2 tsps Paprika – pantry

Mix seasonings together and sprinkle over chicken. You can leave skin on chicken and remove after cooking or go skinless. Just make sure to season well, before baking.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix 1/4 cup white rice to packaged rice a roni vermicelli/rice mixture and pour into a 13 x 9 roasting pan. Spread rice around to coat bottom of pan. Microwave water till near boil. Add rice a roni seasoning and pour over rice.

Place seasoned chicken onto rice, spread out from each other by a few inches or so. Cover with tin foil and seal tightly. Place pan in oven and let bake for 1 hour (depending on size of chicken, you might have to go 1 1/2 hours). Remove cover and baked an additional 10 -20 mins or until chicken looks nice and brown. Serve hot with a salad or fresh garden veggies and dip.

COST: $5.28

Garden Veggies and Dip:

2 tomato, sliced – $.50
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced – $.88
1 green bell pepper, sliced – $.50
2 cups baby carrots – $.75
1/4-1/2 cup salad dressing (rance or blue cheese) – $.35
1 cucumber – $.40

COST: $3.03

GRAND TOTAL: $8.31