This is a comfort food meal that is also a one-dish dinner, so is a WIN on all counts in my book.
If the name of this recipe has you wondering, “since when can you eat a bog?”, I really don’t know. Southern Living says this is called a bog. And bog feels mysteriously Southern and old-timey to me, plus it’s fun to say, so we’ve been calling it that, too.
It’s basically a quick, one-pot chicken and rice, and as such has earned its place as a winter weeknight staple in our house.
To start off, sauté some onions and carrots in butter and olive oil. Then add rice and some seasonings and cook ’em til they’re nice and toasty.
Then pour in chicken broth and top with seasoned chicken pieces.
When broth is boiling, turn down the heat, cover it up, and let it all cook away for 20 minutes.
If you are like me and have struggled to make a good pot of rice in your life because if an inexplicable compulsion to peek on your rice to see how it’s doing (Is the water really absorbing? Can I be sure it’s not getting burned and crunchy on the bottom?) you will need to summon all self-control to put the lid on and leave it until your timer goes off. NO PEEKING. Don’t you dare lift that lid even just for one second.
When your timer goes off, turn the heat off, remove the chicken pieces, and keep the rice covered so it can keep on steaming for another 10 minutes. While you wait and continue to not peek, shred your chicken up.
Then stir the shredded chicken into the rice with lemon juice and fresh parsley!
Sample and stir and sample some more. Scoop into bowls and dig in!
Like a lot of things in life, bog is especially good topped with parmesan.
Chicken Bog
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into palm-size pieces
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For serving: Parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium-high. Once bubbling, add onions and carrots and cook until they begin to soften – about 4 minutes.
Add garlic, rice, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice begins to toast – about 2 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth and place chicken pieces on top. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Remove chicken pieces to a cutting board. Keep rice covered to allow to steam in the pot for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken.
Stir shredded chicken, lemon juice, and parsley into the rice. Serve topped with shredded parmesan.
Adapted from Southern Living.
