Nov 1, 2005

Homemade Rice-A-Roni Mix

It was a very long weekend and I am very tired, so tonight we had a very simple meal.  Hot dogs, baked beans and homemade Rice-A-Roni.  I found the recipe for Rice-A-Roni mix in The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzen.  It is very good and so much less expensive than the boxed mixes.  Be creative!  You can certainly adapt the recipe to any flavor you’d like, although I went with the book’s traditional chicken version.  Here is the recipe.

Homemade Rice-A-Roni Mix (form The Complete Tightwad Gazette)

2 c. rice
1 c. angel hair, vermicelli or spaghettini pasta, broken into very small pieces
¼ c. parsley
6 Tbsp. chicken bullion powder
2 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. thyme

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  

To prepare:  Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a skillet.  Add 1 c. of the mix and stir.  Add 2 ¼ c. water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

21 comments:

Joe said...

I've never thought to make a mix like this myself. The rare times we would use this it would be nice to make it by hand!

Michele said...

I agree, it is great to have on hand. Plus you know what is going into it as opposed to the boxed variety.

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate said...

Hi-I'm writing an article in my blog and needed a rice-a-roni recipe. Just wanted to let you know I am linking to you for this recipe.

Michele said...

Thanks Jenn, I love your blog, I will add you to my blogroll.

Anonymous said...

My daughter and I have celiac and can't have regular rice-a-roni so this recipe is a perfect addition to our gluten free kitchen! Thanks

Michele said...

Glad I could be of help! Let me know how you like it :)

Anonymous said...

My family didn't like this recipe much. Not really a replacement for the Rice a Roni mix from the box.

Michele said...

Hi Dee, sorry to hear you didn't care for the recipe. We were used to the boxed stuff and we love this!

Anonymous said...

I have been looking for a scratch rice-a-roni mix for several years. Growing up in San Francisco in the 50's, it was a staple. I'm going to try this recipe. Any comments on substituting beef bullion for chicken?

Michele said...

I think substituting beef for chicken would work out just fine. If you try it let me how it works out!

Anonymous said...

Remember that the packet of seasoning in rice-a-roni contains MSG along with chicken fat - this recipe is great.

Michele said...

Another great reason to make your own :0)

Anonymous said...

Tumeric is the spice that makes the rice yellow. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per box..For the beef coloring you can add a touch of browning liquid like Kitchen Bouguet while it simmers. I use tumeric in my recipe and the rice tastes good. Small amounts of tumeric is what is in the store bought box. Great recipe, thanks for posting it!

Dee~

Anonymous said...

My family loves the rice a roni savory whole grain blends- roasted garlic italliano- I add fresh diced tomatoes and it becomes a meal for us. Does anyone have a homemade version of this?
lindamay79@hotmail.com

TaDa! Creations said...

I'm so happy I found this recipe! My daughters prefer rice instead of potatoes but I'm getting tired of plain rice. I don't buy the boxed stuff because of the MSG and other junk and I'm not a fan of chicken bullion for the same reasons so I think I'll just cook the rice in my own chicken stock and add the spices from the recipe. I'm looking forward to dinner now! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

well ya gotta saute the onions then brown(light brown very light ,tan) the pasta in oil,(olive oil)then add rice and stir that around in oil at least a minute then add the liquids,also add a handfull of cilantro,parsley or what ever to add soem flavor and greens to it, then it be better than box from store becuase it cost way less and tastes way better.

Anonymous said...

I Tried this recipe which calls for 6 tablespoons of Chicken Bullion. I used Herb Ox and found it to be very salty. Should it be teaspoons instead of tablespoons? the Herb Ox package says one teaspoon for 1 cup water.

Michele said...

It is supposed to be Tablespoons. I would suggest if it is too salty you can cut back on the amount you use.

Anonymous said...

This recipe is nasty! First of all it is not gluten free! Is call for broken up pasta, thats gluten! So for the post stating she was happy due to her celiac....look out! And learn about Celiac! Than it calls for bullion cubes! Oh my goodness, where to begin, that is a lifetime of sodium. Its all wrong and VERY unhealthy. YUCK!

Michele said...

Sorry you think the recipe is nasty. I never said it was gluten free nor did I say it was healthy. You are not obligated to use the recipe just because I posted it.

Anonymous said...

"nasty"...smh, some people just have to try and bring a bunch of negativity for no reason. The dish is "right on point"...awesome, thanks for taking the time to show...god bless.