Carolina Chicken and Bean Pilau

For a hearty and satisfying one-pot-meal, try this Carolina-style chicken, beans and rice dish—it's loaded with flavor.

Recipe Ingredients:

4 to 6 slices smoked bacon
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern or pinto beans, rinsed, drained (3 cups cooked)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup sliced carrots

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook bacon in large pot until crisp; remove, crumble and reserve. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from pan. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and reserve. Sauté onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in remaining fat in pot until very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in thyme, tarragon, bay leaves, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and flour. Cook over medium heat until flour is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling, stirring until smooth. Stir in reserved chicken and bacon, beans, rice and carrots. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups each).

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe): Calories 373; Fat 4g; % Calories from Fat 10; Potassium 938mg; Carbohydrate 55g; Folate 148mcg; Sodium 921mg; Calcium 107mg; Protein 33g; Dietary Fiber 9g; Cholesterol 50mg.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Bean Education & Awareness Network.