Roy’s Light Italian Baked Rice (Riso al Forno)

4 servings 6 Better Balance Bites/Blue Points

Calories 580 Fat 9.9g Sat. Fat 3g Protein 38.3g Carbs 88.7g Fiber 8.2g Sugars 12.9g

Ingredients

For the sauce

· Cooking spray

· 1 small onion, diced (see notes)

· 1 Tbsp minced garlic, about 3 cloves

· 2 tsp dried basil

· 1 tsp Italian seasoning

· 1 pound ground chicken breast (see notes)

· 2 Tbsp tomato paste

· 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

· 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

· salt and pepper, to taste

For the baked rice

· 1 cup arborio rice (see notes)

· 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (see notes)

· 1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella, divided

· 1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese, divided

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat skillet with cooking spray, add in the onion, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook onion until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, and Italian seasoning, stir to incorporate, and allow to cook another minute.

2. Add the chicken breast, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until it has turned white, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce until the chicken is coated. Add in the crushed tomatoes.

3. Cook the sauce for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, stirring. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

4. While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 375°F. Then set a medium saucepan 3/4 filled with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the rice. Cook the rice for just 10 minutes, then drain it and rinse it under cold water.

5. In a large bowl, mix the rice with the peas together, followed by 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan. Remove 2 cups of sauce to a bowl and add the remainder to the rice mixture.

6. Coat an 8" baking dish with cooking spray, then add 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of the dish. Pour the rice mixture into the dish, smooth it out, and top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan and mozzarella on top, then coat the cheese with cooking spray to encourage even melting.

7. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender. (Check by taking a sample from the center of the dish and tasting for doneness.) (see notes)

8. Remove from the oven and wait about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

· This recipe is easily doubled. Bake it in a 9x13” baking dish and add another 5-10 minutes to the baking time.

· If using frozen onions, use about 1/2 cup. Can’t find a small onion? Use 1/2 of a medium.

· To save money, you can grind your own chicken breast by cutting it into cubes, setting in the freezer 10-15 minutes, then pulsing in a food processor.

· You can swap out the ground chicken for lean ground beef.

· If you can’t find arborio rice, use another short grain rice. Or use long grain but boil it another 2-3 minutes.

· You could try this with cauliflower rice (which I haven’t yet) but I would suggest cooking it in a skillet with a little cooking spray rather than in water. Cauliflower can release water, so I would keep it as dry as possible.

· If you’d prefer, you can swap out the peas for frozen green beans, corn, or carrots.

· For color on the cheese, broil for 2-3 minutes, but watch it carefully to avoid burning.

· Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge up to 4 days or up to 4 months in the freezer.