Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar

I thought this dish was delicious (and I am not a broccoli fan!). This recipe is from a cookbook titled, "The Best 30-Minute Recipes" from the editors of Cook's Illustrated.

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups instant white rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Tabasco

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat and shake off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.

2. Add remaining oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into rice, browned side up. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed and thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.

4. Transfer chicken to clean plate. Off heat, gently fold broccoli, 1/2 cup of cheddar, and Tabasco into rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar over top, cover, and let sit until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Serve with chicken.

Got extra time?
If you don't have instant rice or if you would like to use long-grain rice, follow this method:
Sustitute 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice and increase broth to 4 1/2 cups. When tranferring chicken to plate in step 4, brush any rice off chicken back into skillet, then cover and continue to cook rice over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Then add broccoli and cheddar off heat and continue with recipe as directed.