Baked Garlic Rice Pilaf

For as long as I’ve been cooking, I have always relied on boxed side dishes to go along with a main dish for dinner.  In our ever growing quest to eat healthier, I am trying to cut out as much processed food as I can, and the boxed side dishes just don’t work with that plan at all.  After making this garlic rice pilaf, I can’t believe I ever used a boxed rice mix.  This was fantastic!  The only downside is the amount of cooking time, so it doesn’t work for us on work nights.  It made enough for dinner tonight and tomorrow night, which is a huge bonus!  I served this along side these Balsamic Pork Chops and a cucumber, tomato and pepper salad.  This will definitely replace the boxed rice mixes I’ve bought for years!  Sorry for the bad picture…definitely check out Annie’s Eats for a much more appetizing picture!

 

Baked Garlic Rice Pilaf
Servings: 6  Points+: 4 per serving (6 servings)

2 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup long-grain white rice
2½ cups chicken broth, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice 

 
Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Have ready a covered casserole dish.  In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes.  About 15 minutes before it is finished baking, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Note: This recipe can be doubled without increasing the baking time.

Source:  From Annie’s Eats, which she adapted from What’s Cooking in the Orange Kitchen?

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