Rice pilaf is SO easy to make! Pasta is toasted in butter with rice and then cooked in broth until tender. Serve with chicken or fish for an easy side dish.

I am finally getting around to posting my Chicken Shawarma recipes… Honestly between working, kids and Project Food Blog, I’ve been very busy! Not to mention that today is my youngest daughters 6th birthday… I can barely type that without wanting to ugly cry.

It’s a Girl!!

Six years ago… I was twenty four… I had a 3 year old, I was only married for 4 years and I was a very pregnant and a-not-so-small 170{ish} lbs… YIKES! It was an over cast day… we checked in to the hospital around 9:00 am, and she was born at 2:23 that afternoon. The easiest delivery EVER!! Unlike my first baby who was almost 10lbs! This baby was a teeny 7lbs 13 oz. and a piece of cake! She had a ton of dark hair and the smoothest skin ever… not even a mark. Except for a tiny birth mark under her left eye. She brought us great joy that day and continues to do that today. Happy Birthday Malloree!  I love you!

Just look at them! Now I’m really blubbering (again)!!!

Okay… let’s talk pilaf. Since I was a kid I thought rice pilaf sounded grody. Now keep in mind I never actually tasted it… it just sounded gross. Pilaf… I mean c’mon can you blame me?! But as soon as I found out that you fry the noodles in butter… I was sold! Why didn’t they tell me this when I was a kid?

You can use vermicelli noodles and break those up into tiny pieces if you want… I believe that is “traditional” but if you don’t want the hassle, try using orzo! It was really fun to make… well as much fun as making rice can be… but the frying in butter really makes the rice look fancy! Give it a try! You’ll be hooked!

To start off you’ll need; Butter, Chicken Broth, Orzo and Long Grain Rice. You will need some water too!

Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium to medium high heat until it melts and gets hot and bubbly.

Toss in the Orzo…

When the orzo turns a little golden throw in the rice and stir to combine.

Pour in the broth and water. Give it a good stir and bring to boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a heavy lid. If your lid isn’t heavy use a plate that fits the pot. Cook for 15 minutes at a simmer.

*Test the plate out before you begin to make sure!

After the 15 minutes are up, remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 more minutes.

And when you pull the lid or plate off… VIOLA!! Beauteous!!

Fluff with a fork… and take a bite… or two… or three, then season with salt and pepper if it needs it!… And now pat yourself on the back!

This is a great side to chicken or fish!

Enjoy! And if you give this Rice Pilaf recipe a try, let me know by snapping a photo and tagging me on twitter or instagram!

My cookbook Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance! 

Print

Yield: 4 cups

Simple Rice Pilaf

Toasted orzo is cooked with rice for a delicious side dish.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cups water
• a pinch of kosher salt, more or less to taste
• a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan until hot and bubbly.

Add the orzo pasta and “fry” until lightly golden in color.

Add the cup of rice, stir.

Pour in the chicken broth and water, stir and bring back to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a heavy lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Fluff with fork and serve!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 70mg Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Protein: 6g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.