This simple one pot chicken dish is an easy meal to prepare on a weeknight and can be made ahead and still taste good a bit later. With children playing sports who always seem to require an additional meal after an evening game, this is a go-to option. I used breasts and drumsticks, but you could easily substitute whatever kind of chicken you prefer. I love all the leeks and garlic in the rice, and if you saved some stock in the freezer from making chicken soup, you can use it to cook the rice and braise the chicken. When you add the Greek seasoning, just verify the salt content, some blends add salt and others don’t.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)
  • 3 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 leeks, thinly sliced and chopped (white and light green parts)
  • 10 whole garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 3 teaspoons favorite Greek seasoning (I love Penzey’s)
  • Parsley, dill sprigs or combination of herbs for garnish

Directions:

Heat a large heavy bottom ( I use an enamel one) skillet with a lid and heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Pat chicken pieces dry all over with paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin down in pan and sear for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown all over. Remove chicken from pan, lower the head to medium low and set aside on a plate. Add the butter to the pan along with the leaks and garlic and stir frequently until leeks are quite tender (5-7 minutes). Add rice to pan, raise heat to high and stir frequently for an additional minute or 2 to coat rice and brown rice a bit. Next add white wine and Greek seasoning to pan and continue to stir, scraping up any brown bits. Add stock to the pan, stirring once or twice and place chicken back in pan bringing mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover your pan and allow chicken and rice to simmer covered for about 25-30 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and let dish sit an additional 10 minutes. (Cooking time may need adjusting according to the size of chicken pieces, but you can always add additional stock if you need more cooking time). Before serving, garnish dish with fresh herbs and enjoy with vegetables and salad!