I've only done it once, but it was really good. EXTREMELY buttery though. I skipped the condensed soup mixes and instead reduced some beef stock and added caramelized onions.
https://12tomatoes.com/stick-of-but...EIWQ8GAFs0FugSBqGQLQdUOl4D3Fp8jE5TMs7iH296sa0
I agree, my first thought was to skip the canned soup and use fresh onions.
Here's a variation on this idea -- brown chicken in an ovenproof covered skillet in a mixture of butter and olive oil, remove chicken and keep warm. Add chopped onions and caramelize. Add rice and stir until the rice is browned. Add stock/wine and seasonings (salt & pepper, thyme, Herbes de Provence, poultry seasoning, and/or
paprika work well), and the chicken. Cover and bake at 350 F for 1 hour.
For white rice, add 2 cups stock per 1 cup rice, for brown rice use 2.5 cups stock. I've mixed in quinoa and other grains, including pearl couscous.
I typically use chicken stock, but have used beef and vegetable when out of chicken, and normally add wine as 1/3 to 1/2 of the liquid (usually white wine, but if I have red open ....). I leave the skin on the chicken to render the fat, which gets distributed through the rice, so I use a lot less butter than the Stick of Butter Rice recipe. I've also made this with pork chops and stew beef. If using a less fatty meat, add more butter and/or olive oil.
Depending on batch size, I'll add 1 to 3 tsp of various herbs and spices. Except paprika -- I may add several tablespoons.
My father's parents emigrated from Hungary at the turn of the century (1900, not 2000), and the love of paprika is apparently genetic, as I love this dish when heavy on the paprika, as do my sons. My mom made a similar stovetop dish when I was growing up, and when asked how much paprika to add, her answer was, "Until the chicken is red."
The father of one of my college roommates emigrated from China, so my roommate grew up cooking real Chinese dishes (as opposed to the Americanized versions). When I asked him how much soy sauce to add to fried rice, his response was, "until it's the right color".