Not so much.
You see, there's a trick to this one : a non, non-stick pan. Otherwise it's not going to taste the same when you re-create it. So, invest in, or borrow someone's stainless steel pan. You're gonna need it! What makes it even better, assuming you skip the broccoli, this is a 2 pot dinner!
The picture above shows it with my Garlic Lime Broccoli, which I will provide directions for also! Even the biggest veggie-snob will approve of this one! (I've tested that theory, too!)
For the chicken you will also need:
2-3 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cubed
3 (or more, depending on how much your crowd likes gravy) packs of chicken gravy
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
As much rice as you think you need. (I use about 2 cups of rice, assuming 1 cup per person.)
Slice and dice your chicken into cubes, or bite size chunks. Make an even layer of them on your cutting board and start seasoning. Use as much or as little as you prefer. I season liberally when it comes to chicken. Unless it's "backyard fresh" chicken really has no flavor other than what you give to it.
In your pan, on medium high heat, add 2 tblsp of olive or vegetable oil and when it's hot enough, add in a batch of your chicken. You don't want to completely crowd the pan, but you don't want it to outright fry either. If it puts off some juice and just kind of stews for a few minutes, don't panic, you're doing it right. Medium high heat sounds like too much but you want the bottom of your pan to caramelize, just don't burn it. Black means burned. Brown means yummy. That juice is gonna cook off in a little bit and leave you with a layer of golden brown deliciousness on the bottom of your pan.
Once that batch has turned a lovely golden brown, remove it from your pan, and add in your next batch. You may need to re-oil between batches and that's okay. Just use enough to re-lubricate your pan. You want it to stick but not so bad you're prying it off the bottom and flinging it across the kitchen.
While this last batch is going, start your rice. Cook it as you would normally. Once your rice is going, grab your gravy mix and mix it on the side in a large measuring cup or bowl. Most mixes call for 1 cup of water per 1 pack of gravy, so choose your vessel wisely.
When the last batch of chicken is done, remove it from the pan also. You need all the surface area you can get in there to scrape the amazingness off the bottom. Add in about 1/4 of your gravy mix. Turn the heat up to high and start gently scraping the bottom of your pan with your wooden spoon. (Just because it's a stainless steel pan, doesn't mean you get to use metal utensils here folks, what ails you? Do you know how annoying that sound is?! Wash ya mama's whoopin spoon if you have to, but for God sakes use a wooden spoon!!). When you can no longer feel or see and more nuggets of deliciousness stuck to the bottom of the pan, add the rest of your gravy to the pan and stir together. Then add your chicken back to the pan and turn the heat down to low or simmer. Your rice should be about 5 to 10 minutes away from being done. That's plenty of time to allow the gravy to cook into the chicken.
Once the rice is done, ring the dinner bell and start fixin' plates, 'cuz dinner's done!
This serves myself 4 times. You have to consider that usually this is the only star of the dinner show, so it's okay to have a bowl of it to yourself and not feel like a fatty. As long as this isn't the 3rd time this week, yanno?
Bonus recipe: Garlic Lime Broccoli
2 large heads of broccoli
1-2 small cloves of garlic, minced ridiculously fine
1 tablsp Salt
Water
1 small dollop of butter
1 tsp olive or veggie oil
Lime (or lemon) juice to taste
Rinse your broccoli well, and cut the florets from the stem. Discard stem, or if you like the stem, peel that woody outer layer off of it, slice it up and add it in with your florets.
In a large sauce pot, fill it halfway with water and add your salt. Place on high heat and let it come to a boil. You're about to embark on the not-so-fancy technique of "Blanching" your broccoli. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add in your broccoli and let it go for 1-2 minutes. If it's starting to go yellow-green, TAKE IT OUT IT'S BEEN TOO LONG! You want it to still be bright green with a little crunch to it. Drain it and let it stand to finish draining. In the same pot, toss in your butter and oil. Once the butter has melted, add in your broccoli and toss to coat. The little pieces of the florets are going to break down. It's an inevitability that you cannot avoid. Make a small well in the center and add in your garlic and lime or lemon juice. Toss to coat once again. After about a minute or two the garlic has had a chance to permeate the oil, butter and broccoli, so your flavor is there, plus since you minced it so fine it really doesn't take long to soften. IF it's turning brown, TAKE IT OFF THE HEAT AND OUT OF THE POT! You don't want brown with garlic. With garlic, brown OR black means not yummy.
Plate it up and enjoy!
*****This also works VERY well with asparagus and brussel sprouts, so yanno, branch out. *****
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