Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes,

Pesto Chicken with Brown Rice and Baby Potatoes, fast, easy, and delicious! Another delicious dinner made from frugal chicken thighs!

Lessons in growing potatoes!

One fall when we lived on the upper peninsula of Washington state we decided to plant potatoes in large deck pots in our backyard. We learned two things; first, deer do not eat potato plants, which is a good thing because they will eat almost everything else! And the second was that we needed to start earlier! We did reap a small harvest, however, enough for this one meal and as such I made the most of it.

Earlier I had made Cilantro Brown Rice and Red Potatoes in our Electric Pressure Cooker. Now I know what you might be thinking, double carbs! And yes, while it is a combination of brown rice and potatoes in each of these two dishes, it is only double carbs if you eat a double portion....just my little thought on the issue! I personally love rice and potatoes together, and probably will for the rest of my days. And that is how our little harvest from deck pot grown potatoes were enjoyed in their post-harvest glory!  

And dinner was served!

Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes was everything I had hoped it would be, and the best part is that your favorite pesto gets to be the center of attention. And let's be honest there is nothing better than a delicious, easy, one-pan dinner to make, at the end of your day. Now I admit, this dish is nothing to write home about in the looks department, but it is all about the taste, which is wonderful. If you can use red rose potatoes for a more attractive dish, but we had planted yellow rose potatoes...

Choose your favorite, or try something new!

We make and use a lot of pesto in this household. Among the different types after the time-honored basil pesto, you will find include Garlic Scape Pesto,  Carrot Top Pesto, Radish Top Pesto, Fresh Oregano and Garlic Scape Pesto, and Parsley Garlic and Almond Pesto. Use your own favorite or try a new to you pesto from the suggestions offered above to create a delicious dinner for your family.  Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes is not only easy to make but very easy to change up with a different pesto. Making it perfect for those days when you want easy and delicious!

Some thoughts on this recipe:

Save on prep dishes by using one cutting board, cut the vegetables first, then the meat. 

The standing time needed to finish cooking the food without overcooking is the perfect time to relax for a moment or set the table and toss a salad. 

This recipe had cooking time for chicken thighs, if you want to use breast meat, you might want to adjust the cooking time.

And finally this! Like most appliances, I have discovered that my Instant Pot cooks slightly different, from the many recipes I have tried, indicate. My current model seems to need an additional minute or two. Adjust the cooking time listed in the recipe if needed for your particular model. 

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• brown rice
• apple cider vinegar
• waxy new potatoes
• chicken thighs
• chicken stock or broth
• onion
• salt
• pepper
• garlic salt
• pesto

You will also need the following:

• kitchen knife
• cutting board
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• electric or stove-top pressure cooker

Now we are ready to begin!

Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes.

Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes
by the seat of my pants!

1 1/4 c brown rice

1 1/2 c stock, bone broth, or water
1 t salt
1/4 t garlic salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 small onion, diced
6-8 chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
2 c small (waxy) baby potatoes cut in half or cut pieces of larger potatoes

1/2 c pesto of choice

This recipe has been updated to include the new cooking methods for possible high levels of arsenic in rice. 

Soaking rice is easy! Plus impurities go down the drain. 

How to Soak Rice.  

Measure out the amount of rice you wish to cook, 

place in a large enough bowl to be able to cover it with water, 

add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 

cover with cool water, add enough water to cover the rice by one to two inches,

 

let it sit for at least 24 hours. 

When Ready to Cook the Rice: 

This process now includes parboiling with final cooking in your Pressure Cooker. 

Drain the rice in a wire mesh strainer, rinse well.

To parboil the rice, place 5 cups of water for each cup of rice into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the drained rice and when the water returns to a boil, boil for two minutes. Use a timer, and drain the rice as soon as the timer signals. 

Let the parboiled rice drain until no drips are coming off the bottom of the strainer.  You are now ready to cook the drained rice.

If however, the day gets busy and I can not cook the soaked rice as planned, it can be stored (up to 3 days) in a covered container in the refrigerator until cooked.  

Now you are ready to make Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes. 

Chop the onion and place it into the bottom of the pressure cooker insert pan. Cut the potatoes and place them over the onions. Cut the chicken thighs and add to the pan along with the brown rice. 

Season with salt, garlic salt, and fresh ground pepper. Add the stock, broth, or water. Stir gently to mix. 

Secure the lid per manufacturers' directions, cook for 8 minutes at high pressure. 

Let pressure drop naturally for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the lid.

Pesto Chicken with Brown Rice and Baby Potatoes. 

Fold in the pesto and serve. 

Storage options for Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe ad the texture is soft when thawed. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes has been included below. 

You may also enjoy:

Chicken Bacon and Cabbage Skillet.

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Printable "copy and paste" version:

Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes

by the seat of my pants!

1 1/4 c brown rice

1 1/2 c stock, bone broth, or water
1 t salt
1/4 t garlic salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 small onion, diced
6-8 chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
2 c small (waxy) baby potatoes cut in half or cut pieces of larger potatoes

1/2 c pesto of choice

Chop the onion and place it into the bottom of the pressure cooker insert pan. Cut the potatoes and place them over the onions. Cut the chicken thighs and add to the pan along with the brown rice. 

Season with salt, garlic salt, and fresh ground pepper. Add the stock, broth, or water. Stir gently to mix. 

Secure the lid per manufacturers' directions, cook for 8 minutes at high pressure. 

Let pressure drop naturally for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the lid.

Fold in the pesto and serve. 

Storage options for Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice with Baby Potatoes. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe ad the texture is soft when thawed. 

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