This Classic Canned Soup In Your Cabinet Belongs On Rice For A Quick, Creamy Side Dish

White rice: it's so basic, but somehow it's so delicious. With just a touch of butter, salt, and pepper, white rice can be an absolute banger of a side dish. But it can also stand alone as an entree, as evidenced in a classic fried rice or a traditional paella. Maybe the best way to use rice, though, is as a complement or the supporting actor to other proteins and mains, think comfort food like crispy chicken or a nicely grilled pork chop. But why serve just plain rice on the side? There's an easy way to make a delicious, creamy rice side dish with a simple can of cream of chicken soup. 

The soup takes just about three minutes to heat up in the microwave or five-ish minutes on the stovetop. Mix the soup in with your cooked white rice — which typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes to simmer on the stove — and you have a fantastic creamy and savory side dish. The soup itself, perhaps cooked down with a little extra milk for an even creamier version, almost becomes a sauce. Combined with the rice, it thickens to become a delicious side dish or, honestly, a nice little standalone dinner or snack on its own.

You can go beyond just the basic canned soup and rice to take this recipe up another notch. One option is to turn the side into a more filling meal with some protein and veggies. For instance, season some chopped chicken breasts and sear them in a pan until golden brown. Put the chicken to the side, then warm the cream of chicken soup in the same pan with water or milk and seasoning — paprika, for example. At this point, you can add the rice to the soup plus any vegetables of your choice, maybe broccoli, green peas, or chopped asparagus, and let the everything simmer for a few minutes. Once you toss the cooked chicken back into the mix, you'll get a nice little semi-homemade entree. 

Not a fan of cream of chicken soup or looking for a vegetarian dish? This tip could easily be applied to any other cream-based soups, such as cream of asparagus or cream of broccoli.