Now listen. This isn’t one of those fussy, four-page recipes with ten kinds of stock and French wine you’ve never heard of. This is the kind of rice dish your mama would’ve made when company was coming over — or when it was just too chilly out and you needed something warm, buttery, and soul-soothing to go with dinner.
It’s a little French, a little Southern, and a whole lotta comfort. We’re talking caramelized onions, buttery rice, a touch of thyme, and a sprinkle of cheese at the end to pull it all together. It’s not meant to be fancy. It’s meant to make you feel good.
What You’ll Love About It (Besides Everything)
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It’s buttery, rich, and has those sweet onions that taste like a cozy hug.
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Goes with literally everything — chicken, steak, pork chops, or eaten straight from the pot (guilty).
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Made with simple ingredients you probably already have.
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You can dress it up or keep it plain — it holds its own either way.
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It makes your kitchen smell like you’ve been cooking all day (even if it took 30 minutes).
What You’ll Need
This makes enough for about 4 folks — or 2 very hungry ones with no shame.
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1 cup long-grain white rice
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2 cups chicken broth (or beef if you want it extra savory)
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2 tbsp unsalted butter
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1 large onion, thinly sliced (yellow is best, but white works too)
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp salt (you can eyeball it if you’ve been cooking long enough)
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½ tsp black pepper
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½ tsp dried thyme
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¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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A little fresh parsley on top if you want it to look extra nice
How to Make It — Step by Step, Like We’re Cooking Together
1. First, let’s handle those onions.
Pour that olive oil into a skillet and get it warm over medium heat. Add your sliced onions and stir ‘em around. Let them hang out for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so they don’t burn. You want them soft, golden, and a little sticky-sweet. Caramelized, not crispy.
2. Rinse the rice.
Now this part matters — rinse your rice under cold water until the water runs clear. It keeps it from turning gummy later. Sticky rice has its place, but not here.
3. Time to cook the rice.
In a medium pot, bring your broth to a light boil. Add the rice, butter, salt, pepper, and thyme. Give it a little stir, then cover it, turn the heat way down, and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes. Don’t peek! Let it do its thing.
4. Add those onions.
Once the rice is tender and the liquid’s gone, toss in those gorgeous onions and stir it all together like you mean it.
5. Stir in the cheese.
Add your Parmesan while the rice is still hot so it melts in. That’s your final touch of love right there.
6. Let it rest.
Cover the pot again and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Trust me, this makes it fluffier and helps all those flavors mellow into each other.
7. Fluff and serve.
Use a fork to gently fluff it up, toss some parsley on top if you’re feeling fancy, and serve it warm.
