Comforting One Pot Meals

It is not quite Fall, but I am already starting to crave warm, creamy comfort foods. While the slow cooker is my good friend for lots of comforting dishes, my Dutch oven is right up there for providing options for yummy one-pot weeknight meals.

A couple of years ago, I learned about a dish called Chicken Bog from a recipe in Southern Living. It is a uniquely Southern meal, South Carolinian to be more precise, and more specifically a small region of South Carolina – from Myrtle Beach and Conway, west to Florence.

It is made of rice, chicken and sausage cooked all together to create a wetter rice dish than a pilaf. It is believed that the dish is either named because it turns into a “boggy” meal, or maybe it’s named that for the boggy region of South Carolina where it originated. Either way, it is fairly simple to make and it’s a delicious way to feed a crowd.

My version is a variation on the recipe from Southern Living, using only chicken, not sausage. If you have a rotisserie chicken on hand, or leftover chicken breasts from a previous meal, this is a great place to use that up.

If, however, you are like me and haven’t necessarily planned ahead with precooked chicken, I have found a great way to quickly cook chicken tenderloins for just such an occasion.

I like to partially thaw my frozen chicken, then clean and trim it while it is still slightly frozen. While the chicken tenderloins I buy claim to be boneless and skinless, there is inevitably always still a bit of stuff that needs trimming. I like to trim out the white, tough tendon and whatever remains of the connecting tissue, or that thin white layer still on the meat.

Trim your chicken then set it into a skillet with about a tablespoon of heated olive oil. Leave the chicken undisturbed on medium heat for 4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, then cover and let sit for 6 minutes.

This method creates perfectly just-cooked chicken tenderloins that are great for using in many recipes, or eating as-is. If you choose to use this method, prepare the chicken, then allow to cool before placing it in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Simply dice some carrots and onions and cook them until just tender in a Dutch oven. Then add the uncooked rice and garlic and cook until the rice is starting to toast and the garlic is fragrant.

A note on rice – this recipe calls for long grain rice. I prefer Jasmine rice myself, but you can use what you like. To be even more authentic, you could use rice grown in South Carolina, which you can order online.

After the rice has begun to toast a bit, add 4 cups of good quality chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for 15-18 minutes, until the rice is just starting to cook.

Shred your chicken, then add it to the pot, along with some frozen peas and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. Then add a splash of lemon juice and top with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. It is simple but amazingly delicious.

The dish is extremely adaptable as well. Add sausage if you like, change up the vegetables a bit, and add some fresh herbs. Make it your own. It makes a great meal to share with guests in your home, or a great meal to bring to a friend.

Because it is a one-pot meal, side dishes are not strictly necessary, but it is delicious served with a green salad and some crusty bread. It also reheats beautifully.

Add Chicken Bog to your meal rotation and it will become a family favorite this Fall and throughout the year.