Noodles and Rice with Toasted Almonds – Yes, Please

Hey friends! I had family over for lunch after church this past Sunday and I pulled out a dish I haven’t made in a while. I’d forgotten how much I liked it, so I’m sending it around for you to discover. (Okay, okay, so here’s the rest of the story! I also wanted an excuse to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone for responding so enthusiastically about the idea of shorter and more frequent communications. To say that y’all blessed this writer girl’s socks off would be an understatement. I will do my best to honor the whole-hearted support this community gives me. Blessings to each of you!)

And now, back to the recipe. I really did serve this dish Sunday, and we enjoyed it immensely. I love noodles. I love rice. Hence, I love rice and noodles– especially when you saute it in butter, steam it in a delicious broth, and top it with toasted almonds. It’s a unique take on that starchy side where you might normally serve rice or potatoes. Let me show you how to stir it up!

“Noodles and Rice with Toasted Almonds”

1 and 1/4 cup butter
8 ounces thin spaghetti
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cans French onion soup broth
3-4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup water (add as it cooks, if needed to keep dish moist)
1 package slivered almonds (toasted)

Melt a cup of butter in a large cast iron skillet and toast your slivered almonds by stirring them around until they brown. Once they’re lightly browned, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside, reserving butter.

Add eight ounces of thin uncooked spaghetti noodles (broken in bite-size pieces) to the butter, and sauté until they turn a light brown, maybe two to three minutes. Add uncooked rice, chicken broth, 2 cans French onion soup, and soy sauce. Cover and cook until the rice is done, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Pour everything into a greased casserole dish, top with the slivered and toasted almonds and bake at 325 degrees for thirty minutes, uncovered. Serve with beef, fish, pork– it will earn a spot in your recipe book whichever way you go.

Hugs, Shellie