One Pot, Big Flavor: MeeshMeesh-Inspired Chicken, Rice & Lentils
📺 Chicken, Rice, & Lentils video & recipe down below.
Chef Noam Bilitzer’s MeeshMeesh-Inspired Chicken, Rice & Lentils in Partnership with Dare to Care Food. Recipe created for the families of Louisville’s Neighborhood House.
MeeshMeesh is always looking for ways to give back to our community, and this project started with a simple visit. We toured Dare to Care Food Bank's facilities in Louisville's west end and sat down with their Executive Chef, Teresa White, to talk through how we could work together. That conversation led us to Neighborhood House, one of Dare to Care's partner organizations, and a shared idea took shape from there.
Neighborhood House told us something that stuck with us: lentils are in steady supply, but families often don't use them because they're not sure how. The same goes for a few other ingredients sitting on the shelves, like dried cranberries. So Chef Noam built a recipe specifically around what's already available, meant to be simple, flexible, and genuinely useful in a home kitchen.
On July 22, 2026, MeeshMeesh is heading to Neighborhood House to cook and share a free meal with their families using this exact recipe. Neighborhood House and Dare to Care are putting together ingredient baskets so families can make it themselves at home, along with a recipe card and a QR code linking to the video below, which MeeshMeesh produced in-house to walk through the recipe, plus a few notes and tips along the way.
The best part of this recipe is how forgiving it is. No chicken on hand? Swap in beef, beans, mushrooms, or even hard-boiled eggs. Vegetables are just as flexible- fresh, frozen, or canned all work. You can easily substitute or add green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, kale, or cabbage, or use it as a chance to clear out whatever's left in the fridge. The seasoning bends just as easily: your choice of cumin, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, paprika, cayenne, etc, etc… they all work well here. Maybe a classic Holy Trinity base of onion, celery, and bell pepper. Or a simple mix of garlic, onions, and butter is a great starting point too. However you build it, you're getting a meal that leans on lentils and optionally, rice, for real staying power. Lentils bring plant-based protein and fiber, and pairing them with a protein and a mix of vegetables rounds out a well-balanced, filling plate that’s warm, comforting, and wholly satisfying.
Dare to Care Food Bank is Kentuckiana's leading hunger relief organization, working with hundreds of partner agencies across 13 counties in Kentucky and Southern Indiana to get food to families who need it. Neighborhood House has served Louisville families since 1896, offering everything from early childhood education to senior programming, family support, and a food bank of their own. Together, they're doing the daily work of making sure no one in our community goes without, and we're grateful for the chance to pitch in.
Chef Noam's One-Pot Chicken, Rice & Lentils
Serves about 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Recipe by: Chef Noam Bilitzer
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into large pieces (bone-in or boneless, breasts, legs, wings, or even cooked chicken all work)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
Pinch smoked curry powder (optional)
2 onions, diced small
3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
1½ cups dry lentils, rinsed
2 cups rice, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen or canned fava beans
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered
¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, picked (or dried, to taste)
Instructions
Season the chicken with a pinch of salt, then the smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic salt, and curry powder. Stir to coat lightly.
In a large pot, sear the chicken to get a little color (optional, but adds flavor).
Add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rinsed lentils, then the rinsed rice.
Pour in the chicken broth, about one and a half times the volume of the rice. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, stir in the vegetables and dried cranberries. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Check in: liquid should be mostly absorbed, chicken moist, vegetables vibrant. Give it a few more minutes on low heat if needed.
Fluff everything together, finish with fresh parsley, and serve.
Tip from Chef Noam: This recipe is meant to flex. Any chicken works, any vegetable works, and if you want it soupier, just add more broth.