Description

Sometimes, the best meals are the ones that require the least effort. Forgotten Chicken is the perfect example of a dish that’s so easy to prepare, you can literally forget about it once it’s in the oven and focus on other tasks, knowing that a delicious meal is on its way. Don’t let the name fool you—this is a recipe that you’ll never forget once you’ve tried it. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, Forgotten Chicken transforms into a comforting, flavorful dish that’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have the time or energy to cook something elaborate.

What makes this dish truly remarkable is its simplicity. You only need five ingredients, most of which are pantry staples, and a few minutes of hands-on time before the oven takes over. The combination of minute rice, condensed soups, and boneless chicken breasts results in a meal that’s not only satisfying but also deeply comforting. The rice absorbs all the rich flavors from the soups and the chicken, while the onion soup mix adds a burst of savory goodness that ties everything together. This is the kind of meal that you can rely on when you need something quick, easy, and sure to please the whole family.

Ingredients

• 2 cups minute rice
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can water (use the soup can for measurement)
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• Butter, for greasing the dish

Preparation Method

Preheat the Oven:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish generously with butter. This will prevent the rice from sticking and add a bit of richness to the final dish.

Prepare the Rice Mixture:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, water, and minute rice. Stir the mixture until everything is well combined. This simple mixture forms the base of the dish and will cook into a flavorful, creamy rice that’s infused with the taste of the soups.

Assemble the Dish:
Pour the rice and soup mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Arrange the boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may need to slightly overlap them, but that’s okay—they will cook evenly in the oven.

Add the Final Touch:
Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the chicken breasts. This step is key, as the onion soup mix will dissolve into the juices released by the chicken and soups, creating a flavorful topping that enhances the entire dish.

Bake:
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This ensures that the moisture stays locked in, allowing the rice to cook perfectly and the chicken to stay juicy. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 90 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Tips and Conclusion

Forgotten Chicken: The Ultimate Hands-Off Comfort Food
Sometimes, the best meals are the ones that require the least effort. Forgotten Chicken is the perfect example of a dish that’s so easy to prepare, you can literally forget about it once it’s in the oven and focus on other tasks, knowing that a delicious meal is on its way. Don’t let the name fool you—this is a recipe that you’ll never forget once you’ve tried it. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, Forgotten Chicken transforms into a comforting, flavorful dish that’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have the time or energy to cook something elaborate.

What makes this dish truly remarkable is its simplicity. You only need five ingredients, most of which are pantry staples, and a few minutes of hands-on time before the oven takes over. The combination of minute rice, condensed soups, and boneless chicken breasts results in a meal that’s not only satisfying but also deeply comforting. The rice absorbs all the rich flavors from the soups and the chicken, while the onion soup mix adds a burst of savory goodness that ties everything together. This is the kind of meal that you can rely on when you need something quick, easy, and sure to please the whole family.

Ingredients:
2 cups minute rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can water (use the soup can for measurement)
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 envelope onion soup mix
Butter, for greasing the dish
Preparation:
Preheat the Oven:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish generously with butter. This will prevent the rice from sticking and add a bit of richness to the final dish.

Prepare the Rice Mixture:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, water, and minute rice. Stir the mixture until everything is well combined. This simple mixture forms the base of the dish and will cook into a flavorful, creamy rice that’s infused with the taste of the soups.

Assemble the Dish:
Pour the rice and soup mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Arrange the boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may need to slightly overlap them, but that’s okay—they will cook evenly in the oven.

Add the Final Touch:
Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the chicken breasts. This step is key, as the onion soup mix will dissolve into the juices released by the chicken and soups, creating a flavorful topping that enhances the entire dish.

Bake:
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This ensures that the moisture stays locked in, allowing the rice to cook perfectly and the chicken to stay juicy. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 90 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Extra Tips:
Choosing the Right Chicken: For this recipe, it’s best to use medium-sized chicken breasts. If the breasts are too large, they may not cook through evenly, and if they’re too small, they might dry out. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer a juicier, more flavorful cut of meat.

Mixing it Up: While the recipe calls for a combination of cream of chicken and cream of celery soups, you can experiment with other types of condensed soup. Cream of mushroom or cream of onion would work just as well and add their own unique flavors to the dish.

Make It a Complete Meal: If you want to add some vegetables to the dish, you can mix in some frozen peas, carrots, or green beans into the rice mixture before adding the chicken. This not only adds color and nutrition but also makes the dish a complete one-pan meal.

Crispy Top: For a bit of extra texture, remove the foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking. This will allow the top to get slightly crispy, adding a pleasant contrast to the creamy rice.

Conclusion:
Forgotten Chicken is the kind of recipe that you’ll turn to time and time again, especially on those nights when you need something easy yet satisfying. It’s a dish that proves you don’t need a lot of ingredients or time to create something truly delicious. The chicken comes out tender and juicy, the rice is perfectly cooked and packed with flavor, and the onion soup mix adds a savory, slightly crunchy topping that brings everything together.

Whether you’re feeding a family or just looking for a comforting meal to enjoy at the end of a long day, Forgotten Chicken is sure to become a staple in your dinner rotation. It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s a recipe that you’ll never forget.