One of my pantry staples is the boxed rice mixes. They’re perfect to whip up for a last-minute side dish — and I won’t lie, it’s very often last minute in my house. But I wanted a bit of a change too, so I decided to throw in some extras. Because I almost never use dried fruit when cooking savory dishes, I was really pleasantly surprised when the pot was licked clean. This is a super-quick and easy dish, yet still elevated enough to serve to company.

Directions

Prepare the Fruity Rice Pilaf

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil and slowly caramelize sliced shallots until golden brown. Add rice. Mix with shallots and toast for about three minutes, mixing regularly. Add water.

2. When the water comes to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover pot, and let cook for 15 minutes. At this point, add dried cranberries and pecans and cook for about five minutes until water is completely absorbed and rice is soft.

3. Remove pot from heat. Let it cool for five minutes and fluff with a fork.

Notes:
– Shallots can be swapped with onions, I just had no onions in my house.

– You can use any ready-made rice mix. Alternatively, use one cup of your favorite rice and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and dried parsley.