I toasted my 1c. of rice in oil (I used calrose rice), and then added chicken stock. The recipe called for 2 1/4 cups but I actually needed more than that. I added more as I went, tasting my rice to see how it was cooking. I wish I had added my broccoli sooner, as the stems were still a bit firm.
I didn't actually take it off the heat at this point. I just turned it down low as I added the ham (I suppose if I'd actually warmed it up first it wouldn't have been a big deal, but I preferred to just let it heat up naturally), butter and cheese. Actually, instead of butter and garlic powder, I had some leftover garlic butter spread that I just used instead. I added a little bit of milk, but not much. I also found it didn't need any salt, as there was already enough in the chicken stock, cheese and ham.
Anyway, it ended up actually being a hit even with my kids. Even Owen couldn't get enough.
