Rice Pilaf makes an ideal side dish for any main course! This simple recipe lets the flavors of garlic and onion shine along with the tender rice and buttery orzo pasta. Learn how to make rice pilaf and you’ll have the perfect side dish at your fingertips for just about any meal!

What is Rice Pilaf?

Rice Pilaf is a dish made from rice and grains cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with onion and spices. Pilafs can also be more elaborate like my Mushroom and Pepper Rice Pilaf or this Indian Pulao. Pulao is a traditional pilaf dish enjoyed throughout India as an everyday staple and it can be dressed up with vegetables or with meat.

Classic rice pilaf is as simple as today’s recipe! This version includes orzo, a miniature pasta. Similar to rice in shape, the orzo adds a heartiness to the soft fluffy white rice.

This pilaf recipe is based on a recipe I found years ago over at Allrecipes.com. With just a few pantry-friendly ingredients this side dish comes together with just a few minutes effort. If you’re looking for an easy rice pilaf recipe without any frills or hard-to-find ingredients, this is the one for you!

How to Make Rice Pilaf

Rice pilaf is very simple! You’ll start by sauteeing orzo in a little melted butter with onion and garlic. Add broth and white rice. Simmer, fluff, and serve.

The result is a flavorful rice that doesn’t require a great deal of seasonings or spices. I typically just use a little salt and pepper to taste.

This is a great side dish for just about any meal. I served the pilaf with Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken and Roasted Bell Peppers, Broccoli and Summer Squash tonight and it was perfect.

My rice-loving son ate a double portion and still asked for more. There were no leftovers at all. I recommend doubling this recipe if serving more than 3-4 people. Especially if you have rice lovers in your family! Plus, leftover rice pilaf is never a bad idea.

How to Cook a Turkey in a Bowl [+Video]

Stressed at the thought of cooking a turkey? Don’t be! We’ve made dozens of turkeys over the years and we’ve figured out how to cook a turkey perfectly every time. Spoiler: the best way to cook a turkey is in a bowl! 

I know, this isn’t your typical roast turkey recipe, but look how brown it got and can you see how it’s falling apart?!

The BEST Turkey Recipe

My friend Brittany was chatting with me over Thanksgiving dinner last year all about turkeys. You see, Brittany doesn’t cook a turkey in the traditional way. In fact, she totally blew my mind when she told me, the best way to cook a turkey — this turkey in a bowl recipe — is life changing.

Yes, it’s a turkey that is literally cooked in a big bowl in the oven.

You’re going to want to buy a big bowl and try this one out for yourself. It’s the simplest and quickest way to prepare turkey that I’ve ever seen, but the results are fall apart moist and tender.

Watch How to Make the Juiciest Turkey in a Bowl

Turkey Basics

Before we get too far into this, I want to cover a few of the basics so you know if is the right fit for your eating schedule:

• A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
• Turkey will need to cook for 1 hour per pound.
• Safe internal temperature for a turkey is 175 degrees F the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast.

So let’s assume you are going to roast a 18 pound turkey that is frozen when you purchase it and you want to have your meal on Thursday afternoon. Here is your brief timeline:

• Remove turkey from freezer to thaw in the fridge: 4 days ahead of time (Sunday afternoon – Wednesday afternoon)
• Turkey roasts in the oven: 15 hours
• Turkey rests: 30 minutes

The turkey will be falling off

The Most Amazing Apple Pecan Smoked Turkey Breast [+Video]

Impress your family and friends with this delicious apple pecan smoked turkey breast recipe. With a step-by-step video tutorial, you’ll have the perfect centerpiece for your holiday meal!

There is not a more juicy and flavorful turkey than this smoked turkey breast. It is our current favorite for Thanksgiving. I thought that Instant Pot Turkey was incredible, but man, this one just totally one upped that recipe.

We aren’t lacking for turkey recipes on our site. We love a juicy turkey slice for dinner, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t keep adding to it. That fried turkey from years ago is still ad favorite, the classic oven roasted whole turkey never disappoints, and we make the herb roasted turkey breast all year round for a healthy dinner recipe idea that isn’t chicken.

So even if you’re like us and there are other turkey recipes you’ve made before, take a chance and make the most amazing apple pecan smoked turkey recipe this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Breast

This list might look a little overwhelming at first, but there are a few components to this recipe in order for it to come together just perfectly! You need your smoker supplies, brine ingredients, rub ingredients and turkey gravy ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need:

For the Smoker

• Pecan Pellets or Chips
• Tin Pan

Turkey Brine

• Maple Syrup
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher Salt
• Apple Juice
• Orange Juice
• Chicken Broth
• Smoked Paprika
• Turkey Breast: Buy a bone-in turkey breast for the best flavor and texture.

Turkey Rub

• Brown Sugar
• Seasonings and Spices: Smoked Paprika, Ground Mustard, Kosher Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chipotle Chili Pepper Seasoning, Pepper and Cumin
• Butter

Steaming Liquids

• Pineapple Juice
• Water

Gravy

• Cornstarch
• Water

This is meant to be just a quick overview of the ingredients you will need. The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Turkey Basics

Before we jump in to making this smoked turkey, I want to cover a few of the basics:

• A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
• Turkey will need to smoke for 25-30 minutes per pound.
• Safe internal temperature fo

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! The sun is shining, it’s chilly outside this morning, and I’m starting some soup in the crockpot. I’m hoping to get out for a hike this afternoon and soup with grilled cheese sandwiches sounds just about perfect for dinner tonight.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Crunchy toasted Brioche topped with jam and almonds creates an irresistible pastry called Bostock. As simple as it sounds (and is to make) once you’ve tasted it, I’m willing to bet that you’ll be telling everyone about it.

With spicy sausage, tender noodles, and a melty cheese topping, this Lasagna Soup recipe has all your favorite Italian ingredients simmered together in one pot.

This Steak Stir Fry with mushrooms and onions delivers all the flavors I crave in a great restaurant steak. Lucky for all of us, that steak has been transformed into a quick stir fry that can be made even on the busiest of nights.

Have you tried a Hashbrown Bowl? Crispy browned hash browns and crisp-tender asparagus are paired with plenty of bacon and topped with a fried egg. This is my idea of breakfast heaven.

The sweet, juicy burst of blueberries complements the subtle tang of buttermilk in this delightfully moist and tender Blueberry Buttermilk Cake.

Creamy, rich, dark chocolate mint ice cream is generously filled with Andes Mints to create this scrumptious Andes Mint Ice Cream.

I made this No-Bake Nutella Pie several times over the summer and I find myself craving it again now. This pie is what happens when you have a half-eaten package of Oreos and a large jar of Nutella and you’re craving something sweet. This dessert is a Nutella lover’s dream come true.

What I’m CRAVING: My friend Ashley’s Asian Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry caught my eye yesterday and now I can’t stop thinking about it. I love a great stir fry, so this one needs to happen soon.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my foam roller. Learning how to use a foam roller a few years ago was a game-changer for releasing tight muscles and improving range of motion. This is the best roller I’ve found – and lucky for me, also the least expensive! If you aren’t familiar with foam rolling, here

Fall Chicken Stew with Quinoa and Butternut Squash

This “New American Heartland” fall chicken stew recipe is bulked up with quinoa and butternut squash. The dish is hearty and filling, and a perfect fall or winter dinner recipe.

When the cold weather sets in, I always want to make cozy, warm comfort food, but those are often not the most healthy recipes (i.e. beef stew, I love you forever, but you’re not healthy haha!). This seasonal dish is healthy, full of vegetables, protein and nutritious grains and it will warm you up from the inside out.

I’m making a loaf of easy herbed focaccia bread to dip in this scrumptious fall chicken stew!

What Do I Need to Make Fall Chicken Stew?

You’ve heard of kitchen sink cookies, and I seriously thought about naming this kitchen sink stew because you seriously add almost everything but the kitchen sink! Ha! But kitchen sink stew doesn’t sound appetizing at all. Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Chicken Broth
• Rotisserie Chicken: I like to use rotisserie chicken just to keep things quick and simple, but you can definitely cook your own chicken if you want. Grilled chicken breasts or left over roasted chicken would work great. I prefer to include for chicken breast and chicken thigh meat if I can for the most flavor.
• Vegetables and Herbs: Butternut Squash, Yellow Onion, Diced Tomatoes, Kale, and Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Flavor, Seasonings & Spices: Garlic, Kosher Salt, Dried Oregano, Ground Cumin, Nutmeg, Orange Zest and Black Pepper
• Grains: Quinoa (Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend)
• Olive Oil

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. Keep scrolling for all the details!

Substitutions and Variations

One of the things I love about stew recipes is how customizable they are! This recipe is perfect for adding to or swapping out. Here are a few ideas:

• You can add cubed potatoes (red potatoes or yukon gold) or sweet potatoes or swap them for the butternut squash.
• Use couscous or orzo instead of the quinoa.
• If you aren’t a kale fan, try spinach instead!
• Of course the veggies are totally up to you – peas, carrots, celery, etc.
• If you want to make this stew vegetarian, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.

How to Make This Chicken Stew Recipe

To get the depth of flavor you crave in a good stew, it takes a couple of steps starting with r