Homemade Rice a Roni

This Homemade Rice-a-Roni is a delicious stovetop rice pilaf that's a perfect side dish for everyday meals. Ready in just 30 minutes means you've got a flavorful dish made from scratch in no time!

Easy rice dish

Have you ever had a box of Rice-a-Roni? They are so fast, easy, and full of flavor. Well, guess what? So is this homemade version! However, when you make something from scratch, you're in control of the ingredients. There's nothing extra added here.

This is recipe is a stovetop rice pilaf made with just a few simple ingredients. It also has a bit of pasta added. A traditional rice and pasta dish usually uses vermicelli pasta, but since I find it hard to find, I've opted for thin spaghetti.

This rice is very versatile. Use your favorite chicken broth, beef broth, turkey broth, or even veggie broth. I like to use my homemade broth and no matter what kind I use, it adds so much flavor.

Key ingredients

• Rice - Use regular long-grain white rice or basmati rice.
• Pasta - If you have access to Vermicelli, use it. I've opted for thin spaghetti because it's readily available. You'll need to break the pasta into little ½-inch pieces.
• Butter - The butter is used to brown the rice and pasta. I've used salted butter. If you want to make this dairy-free, you can use olive oil or another oil of your choice.
• Broth or Stock - Use whatever you have available. I typically use my homemade chicken broth.
• Seasoning - Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
• Fresh Parsley - Fresh parsley is added once everything is fully cooked. It adds a bit of freshness, color, and flavor. Dried parsley can be used if fresh isn't available.

Step-by-step directions

• Place butter, rice, and pasta into a large saucepan over medium heat
• Cook until pasta is nicely browned.

• Add stock and seasoning. Stir and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, place the cover on the saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and stir in parsley.
• Serve hot.

Recipe tips

• A lot of the flavor comes from the butter browning with the rice and pasta. You want it nicely browned, but not burnt. Keep a close eye on your pan during this time.
• If using a broth that already has added salt, use about a ¼ of a teaspoon of salt. You can always sprinkle a bit more salt on the dish once it's fully cooked if needed.
• Allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes with the heat off and the lid on after the rice is done. This will allow the rice to continue absorbing any remaining liquid in the pan.

Serving suggestions

This homemade rice dish goes perfectly with so many main dishes. Some favorites to choose from include:

• Oven Roasted Chicken
• Pork Marsala
• Pork Loin
• Lemon Roasted Chicken
• Trout with Almonds

More delicious side dishes

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Potatoes
• Orzo with Herbs
• Cheddar Biscuits
• Bacon Green Beans

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my delicious sides!

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

Kathy Berget

Delicious stovetop rice pilaf with a bit of pasta. This homemade rice will remind you of the storebought Rice-A-Roni

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Rest Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Calories 207 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Measuring Cups
• ▢
  Saute Pan

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter (salted butter)
• ▢ 1 cup long grain rice
• ▢ ¼ cup thin spaghetti (broken into small pieces)
• ▢ 3¼ cups stock (chicken, beef, turkey or vegetable)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped, optional)

Instructions

 

• Place butter, rice, and pasta into a large saucepan over medium heat
  3 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup thin spaghetti, 1 cup long grain rice
• Cook until pasta is nicely browned.
• Add stock and seasoning. Stir and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, place the cover on saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3¼ cups stock, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and stir in parsley.
  1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• Serve hot.

Notes

• • Be certain to break the pasta into small ½-inch pieces
  • A lot of the flavor comes from the butter browning with the rice and pasta. You want it nicely browned, but not burnt. Keep a close eye on your pan during this time.

• • If using a broth that already has added salt, use about a ¼ of a teaspoon of salt. You can always sprinkle a bit more salt on the dish once it's fully cooked if needed.

• • Allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes with the heat off and the lid on after the rice is done. This will allow the rice to continue absorbing any remaining liquid in the pan.

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 751mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 502IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.4mg

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