One pot dishes are perfect for when time is short and you don’t fancy lots of meal prep or washing up! Check out this tasty dish from Dawn Quest at Meals Our Kids Love.

Because this delicious One Pot Easy Chicken and Rice is ready for the table in just 30 minutes, it’s a great after-school dinner. Everything goes in one pan and simmers away gently while you get on with supervising homework and chasing lost uniform!

Most kids I know like chicken and love rice, so this One Pot Easy Chicken and Rice dish is a no-brainer when it comes to dinner-time. Taking its inspiration from Spanish rice, it packs a lovely flavourful punch with a rich tomato sauce. From start to finish this takes about 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect quick and easy meal for the whole family.

I use skinless chicken for this recipe as my kids are averse to chicken skin, and it’s healthier too. I make sure to dust the chicken pieces in flour first to give them a nice golden colour in the frying pan, but that’s by no means essential.

I tried this with both long grain and Arborio (the traditional risotto) rice – both were excellent, but I found I did need to keep an eye on the long grain rice more, giving it a stir every five minutes or so to stop it sticking, so bear that in mind if you choose to go with long grain rice as your choice.

A quick and easy cheat is to use tinned tomatoes that come with added Italian herbs. I saw some at the supermarket last week and thought I’d give them a try, and the flavour was lovely. If you can’t find tomatoes with added herbs, then plain tinned tomatoes are perfectly fine – just add a teaspoon of dried oregano or mixed herbs along with the tomatoes and chicken stock.

 Makes enough for 4 people.

One Pot Easy Chicken and Rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch pieces
• 200g long grain or Arborio rice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes (with Italian herbs - optional)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500ml chicken stock
• 150g frozen peas
• 1tsp dried oregano (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley or coriander for garnish

Instructions
1. Dust the chicken with flour and season with salt and pepper (I find the best way to do this is to put the flour, salt and pepper in a resealable food bag, add the chicken, seal and shake).
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
3. Add the chicken and fry 2 minutes each side until golden.
4. Add the onions and fry on a low heat until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
6. Add the rice, tomatoes and chicken stock.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until both the chicken and rice are cooked through. If the mixture is looking a little dry and the chicken or rice aren't quite cooked, add more stock or a little water and simmer for a few minutes longer.
9. Add the frozen peas and cook for a further two minutes.
10. Garnish with parsley or coriander.
11. Serve immediately.