As a creature of habit, Sunday is my day to roast something -- sometimes it's a long and lean eye-of-round beef roast, others times it's one or two plump roasting chickens or the biggest whole turkey breast I can find. Oddly, this "roast du jour" is rarely our Sunday dinner. I do it to have on hand to round-out a quick-to-make weeknight dinner or two, or to slice and eat in place of deli-meat in weekday sandwiches. Today I'm talkin' winner-winner flash-in-the-pan turkey dinner.
Let's talk winner-winner flash-in-the-pan turkey dinner.
A box or three of Uncle Ben's long-grain & wild rice mix was a staple in my mom's pantry and I've carried on the tradition with Rice-a-Roni's version. It and its seasoning packet combine to make a quick side-dish that generically (without additions) pairs well with almost anything (beef, poultry or pork). By adding a vegetable or two to the mix during the last few minutes of the cooking process, it can be turned into a deliciously-easy one-skillet meal -- in less than 30 minutes.
In the case of this long-grain & wild Rice-a-Roni turkey dinner dinner recipe, I'm not posting one of my copycat recipes for Rice-a-Roni, meaning, I'm using the boxed mix and seasoning packet just as they are. By simply adding several on-hand kitchen-, pantry- and freezer-staple vegetable additions. It's these additions that turn this boxed mix into an absolutely-delightful super-easy-to-make one-skillet dinner: one cup each of diced celery, onion and apple, a can of sliced mushrooms, and a bag of frozen sweet potatoes.
Oven-Braising a Whole Turkey Breast couldn't be easier. Oven-braising is a cooking method that combines moist and dry heat. The process starts on the stovetop (in a Dutch oven), where it is seared in fat or oil, to seal in the juices (in the case of an oven-braised turkey breast, there is no need for this cumbersome task). The vessel of food is then placed, tightly covered, at a high, low, or combination of high and low heat, to braise in the moist heat created inside the vessel.
Long grain & wild rice + apples, celery, onion, mushrooms & sweet potatoes -- what a sweet and savory combination.
For the Long-Grain & Rice-a-Roni Turkey dinner:
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 4.3-ounce boxes Long Grain & Wild Rice-a-Roni Rice + seasoning packets
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced apple
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
3 1/3 cups water, which includes 1/2 cup liquid from 1, 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms (from below), 3 1/2 total cups liquid
1 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, well-drained
1 9-ounce bag brown-sugar-seasoned steam-in-bag sweet potatoes, steamed according to package directions
1 oven-braised turkey breast, sliced
homemade or store-bought turkey gravy, your favorite brand, warmed, for dipping or drizzling, for accompaniment
applesauce sauce, for accompaniment
~Step 1. Over low heat, melt the butter in bottom of pan. Prepare the long-grain and wild Rice-a-Roni according to package directions, starting by stirring the long-grain and white rice into the melted butter, while stirring constantly for about 1 minute until mixture is foamy. Stir in the diced apple, celery and onions and cook about 1 more minute, again, stirring constantly.
~ Step 2. Slowly add the water to pan -- steam will billow up, so, be careful. Add the seasonings (the packet from the box, plus the 1 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning). Give the mixture a thorough stir and wait for it to return to a simmer, 1-2 minutes. Adjust heat to a simmer gently.
~Step 3. Cover pan and adjust heat to gently simmer until rices are cooked through and have absorbed almost all liquid, 25-30 minutes. Do not uncover pan during this time. Add sweet potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and let residual heat to heat sweet potatoes and mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Uncover and gently stir potatoes and mushrooms into rice mixture.
Good enough to put on anyone's table for dinner:
Oh My Long Grain & Wild Rice-a-Roni Turkey Dinner: Recipe yields 6 hearty servings.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; 3 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight, deep sides & lid; large spoon; 2-cup measuring container
Cook's Note: Everyone and anyone who cooks has an opinion on roasting chicken, and, mine is quite basic. Two chickens, two hours. Read all about: This Woman's Way to Roast the Perfect Chicken. For a variation on the same Rice-a-Roni theme, try my recipe for ~ Homestyle Chicken and Vegetable Rice-a-Roni Pilaf ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2020)
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