Bright and citrusy, creamy lemon rice will take you right out of your side-dish slump. Long-grain rice cooked with chicken broth and lemon zest is almost like lemon risotto, but without all the stirring.

For this riff, Taste of Home reader Lyndsay Wells of Ladysmith, British Columbia, uses a small amount of cream cheese to achieve a creamy texture. Fresh basil at the end adds color and herbal flavor that’s hard to resist. This recipe is one to keep in your back pocket for dinner parties (your guests will be so impressed!) or as a side for roast chicken, delicate fish dinners and roasted vegetables any day of the week.

Ingredients for Creamy Lemon Rice

• Long-grain rice: The best types of rice for this recipe are jasmine and basmati. Both of these long-grain varieties cook up in 15 to 20 minutes, as called for in the recipe. You can use any type of rice, but the cooking times may need adjustment.
• Chicken broth: Use homemade chicken broth or the best store-bought chicken broth. Cooking the rice in broth infuses it with so much flavor.
• Cream cheese: The secret ingredient! Adding cream cheese to the cooking liquid is an easy way to create the creamy sauce.
• Fresh lemon: The zest and juice from one fresh lemon give this lemon rice the very best citrus flavor. Here’s a hack to easily juice a lemon.
• Seasonings: A little salt and pepper are all you need to accentuate the lemon flavor in this dish.
• Fresh basil: Minced basil leaves are stirred into the lemon rice right at the end to add herby flavor and color. Find basil in the produce section or try growing some in an indoor kitchen garden.

Taste of Home