Fluffy Italian rice cooked in chicken broth and then tossed with warm butter and generous herbs makes a terrific side dish for any meal.

This is a flavorful and hearty side dish that will nicely round out any weeknight dinner. And with simple, common ingredients, it’s easy to make extra.

Rice with Herbs

If you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish, this Italian rice recipe can be made in only twenty minutes. Paired with Lemon Garlic Tilapia or Spicy Chicken and Bacon Stir Fry, it’s sure to be a hit.

And the best part? This recipe scales easily, making it a great dish to prep in bulk for future meals. My kids love it anytime there is extra rice on hand.

We add it to burrito bowls, stir fry dinners, or toss it with a bit of leftover grilled chicken or taco meat. There really is no wrong way to use leftover rice.

Italian Rice

With minimal effort and simple spices, this flavorful Italian rice adds something special to any meal.

Don’t let the fact that this recipe is so easy to make fool you; this dish is packed with flavor. Chicken stock (or broth) gives the rice a hearty, rich boost; paired with a handful of herbs, this rice is going to take your weeknight dinner to the next level.

One quick note about the herbs used in this recipe: you can use fresh or dried herbs in this recipe (or both!).

When using dried herbs, add them to the saucepan as soon as you start cooking the rice. When using fresh herbs, wait until after the rice has been removed from the heat before stirring them in. Waiting until the end to add the herbs makes a big difference with fresh herbs.

Oh, and don’t make the same mistake I made when I first made this recipe.

Oh. Wow. This Chicken and Bacon Fried Rice has been established in our home as the best “unplanned and amazingly delicious” meal ever.

Initially made on a whim one night when I had leftover rice in the fridge, I’ve been making this fried rice with bacon and chicken for years now and finally was able to get some updated photos so that I can share it with you.

The whole family very happily gives this dinner two thumbs up each time I make it.

Chicken Bacon Fried Rice

There really aren’t many meals that top the convenience of combining leftover rice with a bit of bacon and some leftover chicken in a way that delivers so much deliciousness.

Chicken fried rice and bacon fried rice have become such staples in our weeknight dinner plans, I regularly double or triple the amount of rice needed for a meal, just to make sure there is plenty leftover for a fried rice dinner too.

And for the easiest “leftover” chicken ever, I often pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store. Full disclosure, with two teenage boys and a very rapidly growing 10 (almost 11) year old in the house, there’s rarely anything truly leftover after most meals.

And if there is? You just might find it in my fridge with a giant note on the container that says “DO NOT EAT THIS” if I actually want it to be there for a recipe the following day. Anyone else relate to this?

Fried Rice with Bacon

Can you go wrong adding bacon to fried rice? I say that it’s impossible. As evidenced by this mouthwatering Chicken and Bacon Stir Fry that we’ve been making for almost ten years now, the combination of chicken + bacon + Asian flavors is absolutely fantastic.

Tender chicken, salty bacon, along with bites of egg, onion, and peas in a very flavorful rice skillet? Oh yeah, you need to make this.

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Mexican Chicken Burrito Bowl

This Mexican chicken burrito bowl starts with delicious cilantro lime rice topped with our sticky Mexican chicken and then pile on all the toppings! I’m here for allllll the toppings — corn, peppers, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and avocado cilantro lime dressing! Drooling!

For some reason, I’m bowl obsessed. There’s something about all the flavors and textures that makes me all giddy. It just feels so exciting to me! It’s also a family-friendly, affordable, healthy and easy weeknight meal.

What is a Burrito Bowl?

It seems like Chipotle was the restaurant to make the burrito bowl popular, but now you can find them almost everywhere. A burrito bowl is basically the filling of a burrito put into a bowl instead of wrapped in a tortilla. They are lower in carbs without the tortilla making them quite popular and also gluten free. And they are so versatile, you can make them exactly how you want them.

Ingredients for a Chicken Burrito Bowl

This recipe is a little different than our usual recipes because you start with three of our other favorite recipes to assemble a whole bowl. I will briefly describe each of those recipes (head to those individual posts for the full recipes). and then finish off with the ingredients to make these burrito bowls.

Cilantro Lime Rice

• Ingredients: rice, water, unsalted butter, chicken bouillon, garlic, cilantro, lime, and green chiles
• Time: 25 minutes
• PRO TIP: This is a copycat recipe for the rice served at Cafe Rio. It’s so easy to make at home!

Sticky Mexican Chicken

• Ingredients: chicken breasts, taco seasoning, olive oil, green onions, honey, and lime juice
• Time: 10 minutes
• PRO TIP: You only need 6 ingredients for this simple recipe, and the flavor is phenomenal!

Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

• Ingredients: avocado, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, tomatillo, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey, coriander, olive oil, Kosher salt, and water
• Time: 5 minutes
• PRO TIP: Can be made up to a day ahead of time. The flavor actually gets better if it sits for a few hours before serving.

Toppings

• Greens: feel free to choose whatever is your favorite — mixed greens, all romaine lettuce or green leaf
• Corn: fresh corn on the cob with the kernels sliced off is best, but you can also use frozen corn if needed, adds sweetness and crunch
• Red and Orange Bell Peppers: seeds removed and diced, adds flavor, color and texture
• Red Onion: adds flavor, color and texture
• Jalapeno: adds heat and flavor
• Avocado: adds a creaminess and healthy fat
• Cherry Tomatoes: adds brightness, col

Shrimp and sausage fried rice has officially been added to the list of our favorite dinners. This easy recipe is a “two thumbs up,” kid-approved, hearty-as-can-be skillet meal; perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner! 

Shrimp and Sausage Rice

Okay, let’s just admit it. I’m fried rice obsessed. Ever since I tried my friend Julie’s tips for perfect fried rice, I’ve been making different versions at least once a week.

In case you’re wondering, oh yes, we still love the Fried Rice with Ham and Vegetables that I shared a while back. All three of my kids have declared fried rice to be one of their favorite meals now.

I love shrimp fried rice, as evidenced by this older classic shrimp fried rice recipe. I have tweaked it so much over the years, it is past due for an update. (Especially now that I’ve learned just how much better fried rice can be?!)

Sausage Fried Rice

Recently, I had some kielbasa sausage in the refrigerator and shrimp in the freezer calling my name, so this became the latest variation of fried rice that we’ve fallen in love with.

As soon as I tasted it, I knew I needed to share it with you. Sausage or kielbasa with shrimp is always a great combination.

The first thing to know when making fried rice is that you’ll need a large deep-sided skillet. Trying to use a shallow or smaller pan will just leave you frustrated and likely with a mess on your

Quick and Healthy Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl

Tender chunks of teriyaki glazed salmon over a bed of fluffy rice topped with a sweet chili mayo, and you can add whatever toppings you want! These Quick and Healthy teriyaki salmon rice bowls will be your new favorite dinner!

Our daughter is really trying to learn to like fish and I’m secretly trying to as well. I rarely tell our kids that I don’t like something because I don’t want to hold them back, but seeing as how some seafood is hard for me to gag down, well it’s pretty obvious how I feel about it. The other day I was checking out Oshen Salmon and trying to decide if I should give it a whirl when the image of teriyaki salmon burst into my mind.

If ever you don’t like something, put a sauce on it.

And the funny thing is, I’m actually really starting to love salmon!!

So, friends, yay or nay to more salmon recipes?

I’ve mentioned before that I am not a sushi lover. Cade loves it, but I just can’t get behind it. If you’re like me, then this bowl is a great compromise! It has a lot of the signature sushi flavors (rice, salmon, a sweet chili mayo, sesame seeds, cucumber), but without the fish being raw and no seaweed. Winning! Though you can add seaweed on the side if you’re into that sort of thing! 🤢

When all is said and done, this salmon rice bowl is perfect for lunch or dinner and hey, maybe it will even sway you into the world of seafood like it is for me. Kind of, I’m still not behind oysters!

What is a Salmon Rice Bowl?

We love rice bowls in our family! Have you tried our cilantro lime chicken burrito bowl?? Or our Read more