Creative Rice Sides to Accompany "Chicken Your Way

[babywings76]

To go with "Chicken Your Way", basic chunk of flavored meat...what side dishes do you like to serve with it. I'm not interested in a salad tonight. I can cook some mixed veggies and make rice. But that seems kind of blah to me tonight.

Have any of you made some type of rice that is made with a sauce of some kind? A cream of something soup? I'd like to make something in the rice cooker. Just wondering if maybe I should cook the rice first and then add stuff to it, or add all the liquidy stuff to the uncooked rice and then cook it together.

What do you all think?

I looked at the sides shown on CC with the Chicken Your Way theme, but none are what I'm in the mood for tonight. I know, I'm picky. :blushing:

(We had pasta last night and tomorrow I'm making the Zesty Ravioli Skillet, and then Friday is Loaded Baked Potato Chowder, so I need something different flavor-wise for tonight.)

 

[leftymac]

My favorite side dish is roasted broccoli. I just toss it in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast the florets at 400 for about 20-25 minutes until caramelized. It imparts a delicious nutty flavor to the broccoli. I'll never steam broccoli again.

 

[babywings76]

Wow, I'll have to try that! What pan do you cook it in? I have a bag of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Would that be good, you think?

 

[leftymac]

Well, I hate cauliflower and I don't like cooked carrots b/c they're too sweet for me. But, other people have roasted carrots before and it's come out tasty.I do mine in the large bar pan. Make sure you let the broccoli get some caramelization on it!

 

[babywings76]

I think I'll have to try it another night. My bag is small and I think it might not be enough to go on the bar pan (I don't have the medium size). It sounds good though. Thanks!

 

[leftymac]

It would work better with fresh vegetables anyway.

 

[leftymac]

Geez Amanda..you always have an excuse

 

[pampchefsarah]

What do you have in the house? I like to make pasta dishes when I don't have a side already planned. Or, if you want to make rice, why not add one of our sauces to the water? A couple of tablespoons of the Chili Pepper Sauce would be awesome, or the Ginger-Wasabi with a dash of Thai Red Curry Rub. MMMMIf you have pasta, butter, S&P, and crumbled bleu cheese, there you go. Add your bag of mixed veggies, and your side dish is complete.

 

[babywings76]

Geez Amanda..you always have an excuse

I know, I know....I'm a procrastinator at asking, so sometimes I run out of time to try these things. I love the advice, but it doesn't always suit what I have on hand or what I'm in the mood for. But it's something I'll try another day. I do value and appreciate the ideas shared. I also hope that this helps me and others brainstorm about side dishes. Because I HATE to cook this way, so I need help w/ coming up w/ ideas. I like all in one recipes: skillet meals, DCB recipes, casserole, pastas, etc. I don't like cooking a slab of meat and then having to come up with different side dishes that compliment it.So tonight I tried doing the grilled chicken with the Lemon Pepper rub, doing it the "Chicken Your Way" way. Well, it turned out to not be done in the time they say, so I had to cook it longer. Then it ended up being dry. I don't like to just eat plain meat because it always seems boring to me anyway, which is why I was thinking of some sort of side that had some sort of sauce to it. I ended up doing 20 min. rice in the rice cooker and then added a can of cream of mushroom soup to it (w/o the milk added). It was very thick, but flavorful and we liked it. It did help to have this with the chicken because it added a little moisture.And I did the silly little "steam bag" of California mixed veggies. Added S&P and butter and that's it.Dinner, done. Not my favorite, but edible. This is the way my mom cooked while I was growing up, but it didn't carry over well for me as an adult.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Fried Rice!

Stir fry your veggies (whatever kind you want) in a little garlic oil, then move them to the side of the pan, and add a beaten egg. Stir fry that (chop it up with the mix 'n chop or a spatula) and mix in the veggies and your pre-cooked rice. Then add a couple tablespoons of the ginger-wasabi sauce. YUM! We love this.

 

[ksmedic]

I love fresh broccoli in the micro cooker. A little water, fresh pressed garlic. in the microwave for 4 minutes then fresh grated parmesean cheese over it!!! YUMMMM

I also love new potatoes in the microcooker with a little water, fresh pressed garlic and butter...about 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes!

 

[RMDave]

Amanda, pay no attention to the French Teacher behind the screen.

 

[cheflorraine]

Back to the chicken part of your meal... I don't have the Grill Pan, but I've really liked doing chicken breasts in the microwave, and if I sprinkle on a Rub, then it's essentially the same idea, just using a different tool. Aside from the grill marks that you'd get on the grill pan, does anyone have comments on which you would prefer (chicken in the DCB vs Grill Pan)??

 

[leftymac]

Back to the chicken part of your meal... I don't have the Grill Pan, but I've really liked doing chicken breasts in the microwave, and if I sprinkle on a Rub, then it's essentially the same idea, just using a different tool. Aside from the grill marks that you'd get on the grill pan, does anyone have comments on which you would prefer (chicken in the DCB vs Grill Pan)??

Chicken in the DCB tastes fine. I like the char that a grill pan gives. It helps the breasts to caramelize which provides added flavor. For me, cooking chicken in the DCB is fine if I'm adding chicken in a recipe, or cooking the whole chicken. But, if I'm just eating chicken breasts by themselves, nothing beats the grill, the grill pan, or a sauteed breast in a skillet.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Chicken in the DCB tastes fine. I like the char that a grill pan gives. It helps the breasts to caramelize which provides added flavor. For me, cooking chicken in the DCB is fine if I'm adding chicken in a recipe, or cooking the whole chicken. But, if I'm just eating chicken breasts by themselves, nothing beats the grill, the grill pan, or a sauteed breast in a skillet.

What Keith said...:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[leftymac]

And I will add that chicken itself doesn't have much flavor. So if you're just adding a rub and cooking it in the DCB you'll taste bland meat with whatever spice you add. When you saute the chicken or grill it, the cooking process does *something* to the meat and helps the spices and meat to blend into one being. Do a side-by-side taste and let us know which one you prefer. If you don't notice a difference in taste, go to the doctor and have him/her inspect your taste buds. There's definitely a difference, it's just whatever you prefer.

 

[mountainmama74]

The sides that are on the pdf about the Chicken Your Way all look good. I love the idea of cooking pasta in the microwave in the rice cooker, I never thought of that!! Polenta...yum... and there's a gouda grits recipe too! Most in the rice cooker, so they can be cooking while you're doing your chicken! I don't have a grill pan, but I've been wanting one for a while. Gonna have to get one this month!!