Our Editor-in-Chief's Easy Eats Rice Is Perfect For Back-to-School Season

The back-to-school season is famously chaotic. After a few blissful months of reprieve from the usual over-scheduling, families are thrown right back into the thick of it, seemingly all at once. Because, as any seasoned mom knows, it’s not just school that starts — it’s the endless carpool coordination, playdate requests that run right up to dinner, and weekends spent jockeying for position on the sidelines. It’s a lot. I know this well. I have two boys, both athletes who participate in multiple sports, which means our weeknights often feel like a carefully choreographed relay. While I’m taking one kid to practice, my husband is dropping the other off somewhere across town. More often than not, we’re passing each other in the driveway, trading kids, bags, schedules, and the occasional hurried goodbye.

It all leads to a very chaotic, unorganized dinner time. And, personally, I hate ending the day in chaos. That's why I love keeping my pantry stocked with trusty staples that make weeknight dinnertime a no-brainer, like BEN’S ORIGINAL™ READY RICE™. Rice is one of those foods that, in my humble opinion, takes too long to cook, and when you’re constantly moving in the dinnertime hour, I prefer being able to skip the long cooking time and head over to the microwave. I’ve long doctored microwavable rice to include some extra protein here, or a veggie there. But recently I’m loving BEN’S ORIGINAL™ READY RICE™ Roasted Chicken Flavored Rice in particular. It adds such a nice flavor without being overpowering.

My kids have always loved the fried rice you can get at hibachi restaurants: it’s rice, garlic, egg, loads of butter and soy sauce. So, this back to school season, I’m gonna bring that recipe home with me.

Here’s How:

In a wok or high-sided pan, I sauté some butter, garlic, ½ chopped onion, soy sauce and oyster sauce (I wish I had amounts, but I just eyeball it all, except for the onion) and let it get fragrant and soft. Meanwhile, I microwave the rice and let it cool.

Once the soy sauce sort of bubbles (I’m not a chef, so apologies for the sad terminology), I add the rice in and mix it all together. Once the rice gets just a little bit crispy (but not too crispy, or my younger son won’t eat it), I push it to the side of the wok and add in an egg or two and let it cook. Once it’s not runny, I fold it into the rice and get it all yummy together.

After, say, three minutes, I serve it.

The great thing about this recipe and this rice is two-fold: 1. It keeps well (plus it’s still fantastic room temperature); and 2. One package of rice feeds my older son's growing appetite, and a second package is just the right size for me to share with my younger son. For days when they’re both hungry, BEN'S ORIGINAL™ READY RICE™ Roasted Chicken Family Size is an easy swap to make and feeds the whole family.

My kids spent too many years not “liking” (aka not trying) rice. Now that they both love it, these packages live rent-free in my cupboard as a great, healthy way to feed my family during the insanity that is back-to-school season (and let’s be honest, year round).