I am always looking for fairly plain, easy to prepare, but still tasty starchy side dishes to serve with what I call “fussy food”. You know, like meaty casseroles, meat loaf, meats with a sauce – that type of food. Especially when I am entertaining guests. (If it’s just Mr. C. and me, I often don’t serve a starchy dish, because we simply don’t need it. I serve 2 veggies, or a simple veggie and a salad.)

But the other night I planned to serve Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (recipe coming soon) to our dear friends Tim & Suzie, Todd & Cindy. The guys had been golfing at our local golf course, and the ladies joined the fun for a rather impromptu après golfing gathering. I didn’t want to serve potatoes or pasta, but knew that I wanted a little something starchy on the side. (Company coming after all!) So I went on line and found this very simple recipe from Emeril Lagasse.

And it was perfect. A nice mellow flavor. And the fact that I could bake the dish right along with the casserole was an added incentive to give this dish a try. (And yes I know. I could have made simple steamed rice in one of my 3 rice cookers. But I wanted to include sautéed onions in with the rice, because I thought the essence of onion would be a nice compliment to the ingredients in the chicken dish. (And yes I chose to use the word “essence” in deference to Emeril’s fabulous creole seasoning combination. See recipe below.)

So next time you need a simple but delicious side dish and don’t want to go to too much trouble, give this recipe a try. Try it, you’ll like it! (Been said before but it still bears repeating.)

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. chopped yellow onion

1½ c. long-grain white rice

1½ c. water

1¼ c. chicken broth

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (just a bit)

In a medium-sized, heavy lidded saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the water, chicken broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil.

Cover the pan and transfer to the middle rack of a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff the rice just before serving.

Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning

2½ T. paprika

2 T. kosher salt

2 T. granulated garlic

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. onion powder

1 T. cayenne pepper

1 T. dried leaf oregano

1 T. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

And I know. This recipe has nothing to do with the rice dish above. I just think it is a recipe that everyone should have because it is just plain wonderful.