Tonight’s dinner was a copycat Rice-A-Roni recipe with added collard greens, chicken breast, white pepper and lentils. Here’s the copycat recipe:

2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup angel hair pasta broken into small pieces
1 cup triple washed long-grain white rice

1-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp chicken powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp dried parsley

Toast the dry mix: Melt the oil in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the broken pasta and white rice. Stir frequently until the pasta and rice turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add liquids and spices: Carefully pour in the chicken broth, chicken powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, turmeric, parsley. Stir well and bring the liquid to a simmer.

Keep barely above a simmer for 20 mins then turn it off and remove from heat with the lid still on. Let it sit maybe 10 mins and fluff.

TO MAKE IT TRULY AUTHENTIC you’d use 4 tbsp butter and 4 tsp chicken powder for intense flavor. I don’t want to eat that much fat or sodium in one dish and this tastes close enuff to the real thing using less.