"Rice-A-Roni"

This is one of those things that I used to make a lot back in my single days. Tasty, simple & satisfying. For me anyway, I love rice... and I love pasta. So what could be better than a combination of the two, right? Here's a simple way to make your own. It ends up being much cheaper than the name-brand box (even when you get it on sale) and only slightly more work.

        Seasoned Rice And Pasta (similar to Rice-a-Roni)

1 cup thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces

(break it up in the bag by whacking it with a meat tenderizer)

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup white sauce mix

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

3 tsp chicken soup base or 3 cubes chicken bouillon

4 1/2 cups water

Heat oil in large heavy skillet over med-high heat. Add rice and broken spaghetti.

Cook and stir until pasta is browned. Add white sauce mix, Italian seasoning, soup base and water. Stir until well combined.

Allow mixture to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until liquid cooks away. Remove from heat. Allow to sit, covered, about 10 minutes.

Fluff with a fork before serving.