Balsamic Glazed Chicken over a Bed of Long Grain and Wild Rice

The following Balsamic Glazed Chicken over a Bed of Long Grain and Wild Rice is a quick and easy recipe that bursts with flavor and leaves you feeling full and satisfied. It is light enough for a summer dinner, yet hardy enough for a cold winter night.

The balsamic glazed chicken over a bed of long grain and wild rice recipe was developed during our "clean out the pantry" week. I really enjoy engaging in clean out the pantry week because it forces me to be creative and helps reduce our food inventory.

I'm dangerous when it comes to grocery shopping. I'm worse than a shopaholic at the mall. I take advantage of buy one get one free specials and proudly present my fistful of coupons. But, I have a tendency to go overboard in my attempt to save a buck. My spending sprees eventually end up in excessive inventory that gets shoved to the back of the pantry.

Chicken is perhaps one of the easiest meats to cook with because it is so versatile. Did you ever watch, Forrest Gump? If so, you will remember the long list of shrimp ideas that Bubba rattled off. I'm the Bubba of chicken. I can come up with a thousand ways to prepare it.

I hope you enjoy the following recipe and encourage you to take part in your own clean out the pantry week. You might be surprised by the wonderful concoctions you can come up with! If nothing else, you can save yourself some big bucks by not grocery shopping for a week. And, if your meal sucks, you can afford to go out to dinner ;-)

BALSAMIC GLAZED CHICKEN OVER A BED OF LONG GRAIN AND WILD RICE
Serves 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice
2 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 Vidalia Onion, chopped
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend
1/2 teaspoon Goya Adobo seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare Uncle Ben's rice as per package directions.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
3. Rinse and dry vegetables. Using a clean cutting board and knife, chop vegetables into bite-size pieces.
4. Mix Mrs. Dash, Adobo, and black pepper and sprinkle over chicken.
5. Add olive oil to a 12-inch skillet. Heat oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
6. Carefully add chicken to skillet; making sure pieces do not overlap. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes and turn.
7. Add chopped vegetables to chicken.
8. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until chicken is done and vegetables are crisp-tender.
9. Reduce heat to low. Pour in balsamic vinegar and gently mix until chicken and veggies are coated.
10. Simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.
11. Place rice on plates and top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Serve immediately.

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