Making it from scratch beats the box mix by a long shot with its fluffy white rice flavored with onion and celery on top of a bit of butter, water, and chicken stock to pack in the moisture.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the chicken stock and water until it boils gently.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add rice to the skillet and stir occasionally until rice is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
Add celery, onion, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender.
Add hot stock mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Cover the skillet and cook covered for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Remove lid and stir in minced parsley.
Notes
If you like a more peppery pilaf, you can increase the black pepper to 2 teaspoons.
You can use just about any kind of long-grain white rice for rice pilaf. Regular, Basmati, Jasmine, and brown rice all work well in this recipe. Brown rice will likely need more liquid when cooking.
Chicken, beef, or vegetable stock all work well here.
Store leftover rice pilaf in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The longer rice sits in the refrigerator, the drier it becomes. Add a small splash of water or chicken stock to the rice when you reheat it to help bring the moisture back.
To freeze, place the fully cooled rice pilaf in a large ziptop bag or air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave. As stated above, you can add a splash of chicken stock or water to the bowl when reheating to help bring back moisture. Alternatively reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.