Had a stranger at the gas station teach me a 99 cent trick for rice

Stopped for gas last Tuesday and this older guy saw me buying a $2 bag of instant rice. He said his wife adds a spoonful of butter and a bay leaf to the pot, then lets it sit 5 minutes before fluffing. Tried it that night with chicken and it came out way better than the usual mush. Cost maybe an extra cent per meal, and I've done it every time since. Anyone else got a cheap tweak that punches way above its price?

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grayb641mo ago

Ditch the instant rice first off, that stuff is always gonna be mush no matter what you add to it. Real rice is like a buck a pound and takes 20 minutes, way better payoff. That bay leaf trick is legit though, I do the same thing but add a whole garlic clove to the pot while it cooks. Also, don't skip the 5 minute rest, that part is huge, it lets the steam finish the job. If you're feeling fancy, swap the butter for a tiny splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt, same cost basically. The instant stuff just doesn't absorb the flavors the same way, so you're fighting an uphill battle from the start.