Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, Broccoli & Rice

We all know how I feel about quick and easy.  If a recipe doesn't fit that description, it doesn't even make it on my menu.  Long, complicated recipes that dirty a million dishes?  Ain't nobody got time fo' dat!  When I first saw this recipe, it looked WAY too labor-intensive.  The original source had you prep all the ingredients and then cook each ingredient one at a time.  If I followed their directions exactly it would take forever!  Once I looked a little more closely, though, I realized that with a little multitasking I could get almost everything going at once and have this done in 30 minutes.  Not bad at all!  What you need to do is read the directions all the way through before you start so you can get the chicken, rice, and sauce all cooking at once.  If you're really ambitious, you could even could the veggies at the same time, too, but that would take some serious concentration to keep an eye on everything.  Maybe if I had my sous chef helping me and I wasn't distracted by that catchy new "Fancy" song I had blaring on my stereo.... Anyways, this had excellent flavor and I love having all the flavors combined into one pot of awesomeness.  The final product did end up a little on the salty side, so next time I might reduce some of the salt, but overall it was mighty fine.

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, Broccoli & Rice

Total time: 30 min
Serves 5

8 slices bacon, diced
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced onion
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10 oz) cans Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles (This makes the dish a little spicy.  Feel free to substitute plain diced tomatoes if you prefer)

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup extra sharp shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each

Add the diced bacon to a very large skillet or dutch oven and turn heat to medium high. Cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate.  Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon.

Meanwhile, add the rice, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 14 minutes. When done, remove from heat.
 
Add the onion and broccoli to the skillet where you cooked the bacon and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until broccoli is tender and onions are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Top with tomatoes, rice, chicken and bacon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour until just combined. Add in the chicken broth and stir well. Increase heat to high and cook until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add in cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted, then pour in the skillet with the chicken and rice. Stir to combine and serve.

540 calories per serving.