White Chocolate-Cherry Rice Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 0.3 cup cherries dried
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 ounce chocolate pudding mix white sugar-free instant
• 1 cup rice instant
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar light
• 3.5 cups milk 1% low-fat divided
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• sauce pan

Directions

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups milk, dried cherries, and next 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice; cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. While rice mixture cooks, prepare pudding mix according to package directions using remaining 2 cups milk. Stir prepared pudding into rice mixture.
3. Serve warm.
4. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.