Crockpot Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole


Day 268.

I am so excited about this recipe! When Adam and I were about 19, our friends got married. We loved going to visit their new apartment, and felt quite adult when the four of us pulled folding chairs to the table and sat down to eat a home-cooked meal. I helped. My job was sprinkling paprika on top of the chicken and rice bake we learned how to make from a can label.

This is that same chicken and rice bake. But without the fat, sodium, and mono-whatnots.

and you can make it in your crockpot. I came across this last week on Allyson's website. Thank you so much for sharing it, Allyson!

The Ingredients.
adapted from A Heart For Home.

--1 1/2 cups of brown rice
--1 1/2 cups chicken broth
--1 1/2 cups milk, divided (stick with 2% or lower in fat content. I used soy.)
--3/4 cup flour (I used Pamela's)
--1 small yellow onion, diced
--8 oz sliced mushrooms
--3-4 chicken breast halves or equivalent parts (1 used 3 huge frozen breast halves)
--1/2 tsp onion powder
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/4 tsp paprika

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker.

You need to use the stove top for one part. This is tricky for me, because I always, always, always have things boil over. Which is why the canned soup in the Little Dipper is so exciting.

I did it again. And needed to be reminded by my 4-year-old that "bad words aren't nice, mommy." But I had JUST cleaned the stove top, and even ran the burner thingy-mabobs through the self-cleaning cycle of the oven last Thursday. So they were spotless.

ahem.

Combine all of the chicken broth (1 1/2 cups) and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.
When the broth and milk have begun to boil, reduce heat, and slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. When everything is fully incorporated, set the pot aside to cool.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray.

Add the rice and seasonings to your crock. Chop up the onion, and add it with the mushrooms. Stir in your broth, flour, and milk mixture. The rice will turn a bit red from the paprika.

Lay the chicken pieces on top.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for about 8. I cooked ours on high for 4, and let it stay warm for another 2.

When you take the lid off of the crockpot, stir the rice. If the rice is fully cooked and you have extra liquid, keep the lid off for about 15 minutes. The liquid will absorb quickly.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I am so excited to have this new cream-of alternative that doesn't use any butter. This is a keeper, and I can see making it quite often in the years to come.

It needs a bit of salt.

The kids ate their chicken separate from the rice.

Do you love this article?

Please share it with your friends!


Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at September 24, 2008

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What they say about this article

  1. Anonymous9/24/2008

    This sounds great. I am tickled to have a version of one of my favorite recipes for the Crock-Pot. I just got a new 6.5 qt Duet one yesterday and had steel-cut oats for breakfast this morning from the 3.5 qt one. I have about six slow cookers now.

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  2. I believe that your crm of something base is just what I'm looking for!!! thanks for this! if you do happen to find a crm of chick recipe.. please do post it though!

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  3. Oh, wow, thank you! My grandma's chicken and rice recipe is awesome but not the healthiest--it uses white rice and onion soup mix (complete with mmmmMSG.) I made it last week and of course it was awesome but I don't want to make it often. I am excited to try a healthier alternative!

    If my Delicious page ever gets visitors, they're going to think it's YOUR page since so many of your recipes are on it now.

    Thanks again.

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  4. Anonymous9/24/2008

    The photo shows pancake mix. Did you use that instead of flour? If so, how is the outcome different?
    Also, would white rice be too gummy in this recipe?
    Can't wait to try it!

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  5. Hi Carolyn,
    I use Pamela's Baking (and pancake) Mix as a gluten-free alternative to flour. It has a bunch of stuff in it to mimic all-purpose flour. If you do not have gluten allergies, stick with regular flour.
    this is too expensive to buy otherwise! ;-)
    xox
    steph

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  6. eek, missed the white rice part. I think you're right and it would turn to rice glue.
    --steph

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  7. Anonymous9/24/2008

    This sounds delicious. The only thing I would do different is put the peas in with the rice about 45 min before serving. Definitly gonna try this one soon.

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  8. Totally going on the menu plan for next week.

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  9. Anonymous9/24/2008

    Thanks for an alternative to the icky "cream of" slop together recipes often found on other websites (or on the back of the can). They often taste good but the fats, salts & mystery ingredients make me leary of them. This looks really simple and delicious. Keep up with the great recipes!!

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  10. Anonymous9/24/2008

    I am so thankful to have foundyour blog. I just got a Crockpot as gift and have never used one before, so your ideas are a Godsend. I have a questions though. Some of your recipes say they can be cooked at high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Can you cook on low for like 4-6 hours and then increase to high for the last few to finish it? Or will this mess up the recipe? Thanks!!!

    Danielle
    danielleclark620@aol.com

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  11. Hey, we can do that one too!

    "Low-sodium Mama Squirrel"

    P.S. for Danielle: Yes, you can monkey with the settings. I often start something on High and then turn it down.

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  12. Anonymous9/24/2008

    I clicked over from Headless Mom today, and let me just say that if you were both within reach, I'd kiss both your feet right now, even if they were dirty.

    My daughter has severe allergies to corn and egg, and I had to throw out ALL my crock pot recipes because most of them call for stuff she can't have. My poor, neglected crock pot.

    But even right HERE on your FIRST PAGE, I have found three recipes (SO FAR!) that she can have.

    Seriously? If we ever meet, I WILL bow, or at the very least curtsy.

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  13. mono-whatnots...LOL LOL LOL!! Great recipe, thanks ;)

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  14. ummm....I love chicken and rice!

    Your description of the boilover got me thinking about yogourt.

    I want to make yogourt in the crockpot. Have you ever done it??

    consider this a challenge....

    love your blog!

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  15. Anonymous9/24/2008

    I just wanted to thank you for having this site. I love to cook but with a new baby I find it so hard to cook lately but with your site I'm not so scared anymore! So thank you!! I hope you decided to keep it up a bit longer.

    Ani
    foodiechickie.com

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  16. Ummm.. Hello- My name is Shanna and I am addicted to crockpot cooking and screamed when I found this website. Hubby thinks I am insane, kids wonder why I sing while putting things into the crockpot and my friends think I have seriously lost it (Though they are jealous when I have a hot homemade dinner and they don't.)
    Now if I could find someone who loves lined sticky notes, fine tipped sharpies and tupperware as much as I do.

    Thank you for this website! I am making applecauce that you posted awhile back today with all the apples my friend gave me (hers will probably all go rotten, too bad she doesn't use her crock)

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  17. I saw the pp who wondered about making yogurt in the crockpot. I just wanted to say I tried. It didn't work. I think the keep warm temp on the crockpot is 160 degrees, and yogurt can't go about 120. Actually, it was burned and gross.

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  18. oh hey, Melissa, thanks for writing in. I've wanted to make yogurt for a while, but didn't have a base recipe to go from. And am I right that you need yogurt to make yogurt?

    and then I chatted with Mir today and she icked me out with fermentation talk.

    I'm still intrigued though...

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  19. Woa. I have a memory just like that. My job was sprinkling the paprika too! Crazy. Can't wait to try this!

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  20. Yogurt is REALLY easy to make.

    Milk
    a little "starter" (either yogurt or yogurt bacteria from your natural foods store.)
    Heat.

    Warm the milk in a saucepan until the edges just start to bubble. This kills all the 'bad' bacteria.

    Cool to 120 degrees. Yes, you MUST use a thermometer.

    Add the starter.

    Keep between 90 and 120 degrees for 4+ hours.

    Keep Warm on appliances usually means 160 degrees, because that's the temperature that prevents bacterial growth. That's the opposite effect of what you want to make yogurt, where you need to promote bacterial growth.

    I have made yogurt on my stovetop, and then set it outside in a covered container on a hot summer's day. Of course, I lived in Georgia at the time! ;) When I have to make it inside, I put it in a glass bowl with plastic cover and wrap a heating pad around it.

    It's easy, cheaper than buying it (especially if you like organic), and it isn't as tart as store-bought. I've found that a lower temp for a short time gives me a sweeter yogurt, but I don't claim to be a dairy expert. That might not be what's making mine sweet.

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  21. Blah, I'm not sure if my last comment took, so I'll try again.

    Making yogurt. Simple, but can't be done in a crockpot - or not mine, anyway. As I understand it (and I'm not an appliance maker) the keep warm setting, the lowest setting, on appliances is 160 degrees. This is the temperature which stops bacteria growth. This is the opposite of what you want with yogurt, which is essentially grown bacteria.

    To make yogurt, you need:

    Milk
    "starter" which can be yogurt or bacteria that you buy at your local natural store

    Heat milk in a saucepan until the edges start to bubble to kill all the 'bad' bacteria.

    Cool milk to between 90 and 120 degrees. Add your starter. Keep it between 90 and 120 degrees for 4+ hours.

    When I lived in the deep south, I used to use a glass pyrex bowl with a plastic lid and stick it on my back porch during the summer. Now that I live somewhere colder, I use a heating pad wrapped around my bowl.

    The first couple times you make it, you have to babysit it a little. If it gets above 120 degrees, the yogurt bacteria will be killed and you'll have warm milk. Below 90 degrees, and the bacteria won't grow.

    Homemade yogurt is yummy - creamy and sweet. Try it; you'll like it!

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  22. Anonymous9/24/2008

    Mmmmm that looks yummy.

    I'm going to bookmark that one to try.

    Really looking forward to being able to have hot meals during summer without the heat of cooking on the stove or in the oven.

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  23. Yum! This looks great, too! I think this will go on my meal plans next week since I have all the ingredients on hand already. Only problem is that I'm gone about 12 hours at work... so this probably wouldn't be good on a work day, huh? I'm guessing it'd get dried out...

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  24. Anonymous9/24/2008

    ahhh the icky boil over problem- you need a FLAME TAMER! it is a flat metal disk that fits over the burner to diffuse heat. Basically it gives a lower setting to your burner so you can control temp and stop boil overs! GREAT tool! I found one at www.cookncamp.com for $8.49

    It works on all burners but smooth tops.

    Bye bye boil overs!

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  25. Mmm. This sounds delicious! I think I need a second crockpot. And a third, maybe. :) I made tomato soup recently, based on your recipe combined with another. Perfect. Husband wants to make it for Thanksgiving.

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  26. Anonymous9/24/2008

    melissa,
    i love my yogurt very sour so i leave it out for a long time. the longer its out the more sour it gets. i actually make this quite often but have never used a thermometer so its nice to know the exact temps just for an fyi, thanks.

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  27. Oh this sounds so yum! And I have all the ingredients on hand ... but I'm going to try with wild rice. And a touch of salt. YAY! Dinner tomorrow :)

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  28. This recipe sounds delicious. Thanks!

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  29. This looks so yummy and something my two toddlers may actually eat. Thanks! I just want to say thanks for this site! I have been lurking for a while now,but never posted. Like you, I love my crockpot. I hope you don't mind, but I posted about you on my blog today. I have a mission to convert more people to the slow cooking way!

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  30. Steph! You need a pot watcher! I use it for my pasta and potatoes. Cheap and easy. I have a glass cooktop and it is so hard to clean (Ironically...)
    Here is an example. Any kitchen store should have them!
    http://www.surlatable.com/product/ceramic++pot+minder.do?search=basic&keyword=boil+over&sortby=gsa&asc=true&page=1

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  31. Oooo!! THis is a keeper! My hubby loves (LOVES!) chicken so I know he'll love this!

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  32. made this last night! Thank you so much! It was better with out the mono-whatnots. Loved it loved it loved it. My husband loved it, too. You are so cool!

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  33. I will definitely have to try this! The chicken and rice concoctions I have made on my own have burned. So, I think that I will get home from work to a nice homestyle dinner and instead, I cook frozen pizza while scrapping burnt rice from the bottom of the crockpot!

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  34. Anonymous9/25/2008

    This is from New York Times, Mark Bittman January 2003 He wrote an article about slow cooking and had this recipe at the end.

    SLOW-COOKER CASSOULET
    Time: At least 5 hours

    1/2 pound small white beans, like pea or navy
    4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    1 medium-large onion, chopped
    2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
    2 cups cored and chopped tomatoes, with their juice (canned are fine)
    3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    2 bay leaves
    1/4 pound slab bacon or salt pork, in 1 piece
    4 sweet Italian sausages, about 3/4 pound
    1 pound boneless pork shoulder
    2 duck legs
    Chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or water, or a mixture, as needed
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    1 cup plain bread crumbs, optional
    Chopped fresh parsley for garnish.

    1. Combine beans, crushed garlic, onion, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves and meats in a slow cooker, and turn heat to high. (If you like, brown sausage and duck legs in a skillet before adding.) Add stock or water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and cook until beans and meats are tender, 5 hours on high heat, 7 hours or more on low.
    2. When done, add salt and pepper to taste, along with minced garlic. If you like, remove cassoulet from slow cooker, and place in a deep casserole; cover with bread crumbs and roast at 400 degrees until bread crumbs brown, about 15 minutes. Garnish and serve.

    Yield: At least 4 servings.

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  35. I made this last night and it was great! David even liked it, and he usually grumbles when I make brown rice instead of white rice. I like brown better, it gives you a little more to chew on!

    That base was fabulous and I plan to use it again. THANKS!

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  36. Anonymous9/25/2008

    I made this tonight and it was WONDERFUL. I will definitely make this again and again. I didn't have any onion powder and didn't see the salt note till after I loaded up the crock pot so it was a tad bland. But still, loved it. I will buy some onion powder.
    Thank you so much!!!!!!

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  37. I've got this in the crockpot for dinner tonight. Wow! That milk and broth just come to a boil all of the sudden!! I looked over and said the naughty word too! (Tsk-Tsk!) LOL!! Fortunately, I was able to grab the pan and remove it from the heat before the dreaded boil over occurred. Since there are onions in the recipe, I substituted garlic powder for the onion powder. Being gluten free, it will be nice to have a "cream of" meal for a change. Thanks so much!

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  38. Anonymous9/28/2008

    Instead of struggling to make a white sauce to replace those cans of whatever soup, try this recipe.

    http://www.recipezaar.com/57287

    It's delicious, cheap, gluten free, and just microwave it with the water to make your soup. Much easier than cooking up a roux/thickener. And tastier.

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  39. Sorry for the dumb question... I'm confused as to how much chicken to use. I bought 4 split breasts (I believe a total of 3-4 lbs.) is this too much? I'm a beginner and am confused by all the chicken breast terminology...

    Thanks!

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  40. Hi Billy! I only just in the last year figured this out---and only because I ordered fresh chicken breasts at the meat counter.

    I'd use 4 halves, or 2 whole chicken breasts.

    I don't think 4 full breasts will even fit in the crockpot with the rice and other stuff.

    very good question.
    -steph

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  41. oops. I think I did something tragically wrong. Mine came out tasting like dog food. First I used brown basmati rice and it came out all mushy and then I put rotisserie chicken spice instead of paprika and then I cooked it for 8 hrs on low. Oh well, my husband and kids actually ate it! I will try to stick to the recipe next time! PS: Thanks for the blog, I really enjoy it!

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  42. Anonymous9/30/2008

    Allyson's recipe called for 2 cups water, was that left out on purpose? thanks!

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  43. I haven't tasted mine yet but it smells good. The chicken seemed a little dry however and the rice turned into mush. I screwed up and only had 1c of brown rice so I tried to adjust by using 1c stock and 1c milk, so maybe that was the problem. Also, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to leave the skin on the breasts, I took it off, but maybe if I had left it on it would have contributed some fatty flavor?

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  44. oh no, Janel. I'm so sorry. that stinks.

    anon, I did change the liquid amounts. I was trying to keep the liquid and rice ratios 2:1 to have the rice cook well and not disappear.

    billy, I don't know! The trickiest part of this year for me is that I am only making each dish once, so I don't have time to tweak or perfect the recipes. I did use skinless breasts, too.

    xoxo
    steph

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  45. I tried this and the brown sugar chicken, and they both turned out really dry. I cooked both of them for 6hrs on low, then it went to warm until we got home from work. What am I doing wrong...? Should I put it on for 4 or 5 hrs instead? The brown sugar chicken had a lot of liquid left in the pot, but the chicken was dried out. Is it the chicken I'm using?

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  46. Anonymous10/06/2008

    This reminds me of my friend's recipe, only yours is healthier...brown chicken parts in oil, put 1 cup rice in roasting pan with 3 cups water, put chicken on top, cover, and bake @ 350 for 40 min. Take chicken out, stir in 2 cups half and half, put chicken back, bake uncovered 20 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. So rich, but so yummy! Maybe you can adapt it for the crockpot sometime.

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  47. Anonymous10/07/2008

    Hi! What kind of brown rice did you use instant or long grain? I'm thinking long grain but just wanted to check. Sounds really yummy!

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  48. Hi Shell,
    yup! it was CA long grain.
    -steph

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  49. Just made this tonight... Ugh! I came home to my first BURNT crock pot meal!

    To be honest, I've made 10 of your recipes (this month!) and all have come out well.

    I totally recommend to those of you cooking this on low for 6 1/2 or 7 hours, add more liquid. When I got home right now, I added 1 cup water, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup broth. I grated cheese and added chopped broccoli. I tossed it all into a baking dish for 30ish minutes (to meld...) and it came out ok.

    I'll hold onto this to try again another day. Good idea on the peas. Bad idea on a small amout of liquid. :)

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  50. Fantastic! I was searching around for a crock pot chicken dinner, and everything has some kind of creamed soup in it! I'm not opposed to creamed soup, but I don't have any in my cabinet and I generally prefer things a little lighter and healthier. Thanks for posting this, off to the kitchen I go!

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  51. Anonymous11/09/2008

    New Favorite...This was good.Alittle on the sticky/dry side and that was probably because of the rice I had was instant brown.I ditched the mushrooms since mine were old and kids do not like,and added a bit of chopped celery that I had.I served this with warm peach cobbler.Ditch the dessert dish and just put it right on plate as a side...you can consider it a"bread and fruit"serving:)Really great pair up.

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  52. Anonymous12/03/2008

    I was so excited to try this, since my husband loves the regular "cream soup" version. You said it needed a little salt, so I threw in a little garlic salt, plus some extra pepper and paprika, which hubby likes. After 4 hours on high, the chicken was on the dry side, and the rice was a mushy glob. It was edible, but wasn't one of those "wow!" dishes. Glad we finally tried it, but hubby likes the regular version better.

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  53. We had this tonight and the flavor was great! I did have a little trouble with my rice though. The rice around the edges was extra crispy and the rest of the rice was a little squishy. I cooked it for 4 hours on high in a 5.5 qt Crock-Pot.

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  54. Fantastic! I linked it up on my blog: onehealthymama.blogspot.com. We loved it!

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  55. Anonymous3/10/2009

    YUM! I added about 1/2 cup more broth, which probably would have been enough, except that after cooking for 2 hours I noticed that the lid was ajar and letting the steam out. The chicken was frozen when I put it in, and done in 4 hours so I took it out, added 1 cup broth and left it on high another hour to get the rice cooked. Also, I had used about 1 cup diced onion, which was WAY too much for my liking. Next time I'll use about half of that, which is probably what you meant when you said "1 SMALL yellow onion". Thank you for another yummy dinner.

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  56. Anonymous4/28/2009

    This turned out horrible. I cooked on high for 4 hours, and the chicken was overcooked, and the rice did not cook.

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  57. I liked this pretty well, the taste was great. The chicken was a little dry, though, and the whole dish needed a bit more sauce. Any ideas?

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  58. I was really psyched to try this comfort-food recipe since, as you noted so many of the chicken & rice recipes you find use canned cream soups which I like to avoid. It did not turn out well. The top layer of rice was really wet and slimey but the bottom was dry and crunchy. I have no idea what went wrong but the soup base seemed much too thick after adding the flour so I'm guessing it needed more liquid. Or maybe my crock ran too hot (cooked on high for 3 hrs and the chicken internal temp was already 170degF). It didn't taste bad but the texture was inconsistent. And not pleasant.

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  59. I'm making this recipe today and was not sure if I have to thaw the chicken first. Thaw or put in the crockpot frozen? Thanks!

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  60. Hi Lisa,

    my chicken was still pretty frozen when I put it in.

    xoxo steph

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  61. Anonymous11/17/2009

    Had great flavor but rice was undercooked and chicken overcooked. I did exactly 4 hours on high. Maybe next time I will add a half cup of water and cook on low for 6 hours.

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  62. This is a great substitute for similar recipes that rely on onion soup mix, which is horribly salty. I should have followed a previous suggestion about adding more liquid if cooking on low. My wife was home in time to shut it off after 7 hours; another hour and it would have been very dry. Extra liquid would have provided a richer rice side-dish. I added garlic powder, but it was still bland to me, so next time I'll increase the spices. I think toasted, slivered almonds mixed-in with the rice would be tasty, too.

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  63. This sounded good. It was dry and tasteless. I didn't make any changes.
    Not sure what would have improved it.
    I wouldn't make it again.

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  64. I made this tonight. The rice turned to mush, except for the part that got hard and crunchy (kind of burned) at the bottom. I cooked it on low, except for 1 hour on high.

    I used Uncle Ben's brown rice.

    The whole thing seemed to be too dry. Usually the top is wet from steam. Near dinner time, I couldn't stand the suspense and opened the pot & stirred. So dry yet mushy. I added 3/4 cup of chicken broth I quick made up from bullion. That probably kept everything from burning more.

    The chicken was OK. I used both dark and white meat, as all white meat tends to make for bland meals.

    Still, husband thought it tasted good enough that I should try tweaking it to get the rice to turn out better. Other than cooking it for less time, I don't know how to keep the rice from turning to mush. Ideas?

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  65. This turned out great for us! About an hour before we ate, I stirred in 1/2 a bag of frozen peas.

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  66. Making for dinner tonight. I am trying to cook on a budget since we have a baby on the way (yay!) and all I need to pick up is the sliced mushrooms. I am going to add some finely chopped celery as well.

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  67. Um, wow! This recipe was not good at all. I even added extra liquid and it came out incredibly dry and very, very bland (although I added salt to it, apparently not enough!). I was amazed because I have never had food come out so dry in my crock pot before. I highly recommend doubling the amount of liquid and maybe much less flour would do the trick.
    I cooked this one on low for about 7 hours - the rice and chicken were dry and half of the rice was burnt to the sides.

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  68. This is cooking as I type and I am looking forward to trying it. I did use different spices. I mixed in a lemon rosemary blend that we use quite often so the flavors will be different but everything else I kept the same. I'll try to remember to post after dinner tonight to let you know how it was. I plan on trying more recipes from here as Thursdays are now Slow Cooker day for us - busy schedules that day!

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  69. OK we ate. I have to say it was not as good as I was hoping. The rice came out very overcooked and really stuck together. The chicken was very dry and I had to make a gravy to dip it in so we could eat it. I wonder if putting the chicken under the rice and liquid mixture would have helped with that problem. I think this recipe has great potential but I didn't love it the way it came out today. I'm sure I will try it again with some changes.

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  70. Jessica10/01/2010

    I've made this twice in the past week - with a couple of changes. Didn't use the milk mixture, just used 2 1/2c. broth. Added more veggies, such as carrots and celery. Placed three large frozen IQF chicken breasts on top, seasoned the chicken and let go in the crock pot on high for 3 hours. That ratio worked well for us because the chicken releases a lot of water, and in our house we prefer the rice a little firmer.

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  71. crackpot hopeless2/01/2011

    terrible. rice was mush and burned to the side. chicken was dry as all get out. I even doubled the liquid in the recipe and added an ABUNDANCE of seasoning and it was still bland... next time I'll hold the flour milk mixture and cook it in less time.

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  72. Bianca2/23/2011

    Just wanted to stop by and say I am in love with your blog! A friend of mine passed the link along to me and I tried this recipe because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand today and chicken breasts thawing.

    It was delicious and I plan on coming back here for more healthy recipes!

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  73. It's a bit bland, I added a creole seasoning to bring it to life. I added about 3/4 cup of broth to the top of the mixture to keep the chicken from drying out. I set the slow cooker to 6 hours on low after reading the reviews, but the chicken was cooked all the way through at 5 hours. I mixed up the rice on the bottom, and that helped with the crunch issue. I then left the top off of the top for the next 45 minutes to let some of the liquid burn off. Over all, it worked out, but a lot of work for the meal that it was.

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  74. Ok - I tried, and failed. I cooked it on low all day and added extra chicken broth so that it wouldn't get dry. Instead is burned on the bottom, turned to mush, and the chicken is dry.

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  75. I have this cooking right now and reading down through the reviews am getting a little apprehensive. I'm using 5 frozen boneless, skinless thighs and one frozen breast it's been on high for 2 1/2 hours. I just added about 1/2 cup of broth and stirred it up and sprinkled on a bunch of Essence. I hope it turns out!

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  76. I dont know why you add the flour at all...it there a reason for this? Mine is a mushy mess, and the flour made it really bland. It has only been cooking for two hours but the chicken is done, the rice looks very unappealing :(

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  77. Haha, I hate it when that little stove-top thing gets dirty..but a little bit of steel wool and BAM, all clean. Going to try this recipe tomorrow. Looks good!

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  78. LOL...totally boiled it over today! Darn! Haha.

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  79. Catherine11/08/2011

    Hi!
    Found your recipe and blog this morning when looking for a crockpot recipe (using my Dutch oven today) for chicken and rice. So happy a 'cream of something' was not part of your ingredient list:))
    Prepared the dish exactly as you said, but then started freaking out when reading all the comments about dry chicken and burnt rice. So.....I filled my Dutch oven with more chicken broth, added a little more salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. I'll let you know how it turns out! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes this week.

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  80. I generally love your recipes but this was a flop. Made it exactly per the recipe & chicken was dry, rice mushy but with totally burnt edges. :( so sad!

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  81. I tried this today for the first time and after about 5 hrs on low it was very burned and dried out. I added at least another cup of broth. Don't know why that happened? Any ideas?

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  82. Jennifer K1/28/2012

    Definitely needs more liquid and salt. I found this site trying to replicate Campbell Soup's recipe without using Campbell's soup and I am thrilled with the homemade replacement. I used the full list of seasonings from "Allyson" site linked. Then assembled as directed here, but adding 1 tsp of salt, 2 cups water, and diced celery.

    Turned out great! Hubby really enjoyed. I hope you add more liquid to this recipe since posters keep trying it and failing.

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  83. I like Jennifer's idea with more liquid. Was glad to see this healthy ingredient replacement, but my sauce was a gummy mess before I put it in the crock pot. I didn't even boil it, so it wasn't that. I thought I misread it and it should have been 1/4 C flour instead of 3/4. Actually had to throw it out when I got home from work. I will try it again with a little modification. I'm still looking forward to some of your other recipes, but I will read the comments first next time!

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  84. I cooked this today and it's absolutely totally awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. The only question I have is how do you keep it from sticking to the pot? I sprayed really well before starting with nonstick spray, but it still stuck.
    Any suggestions??

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  85. SparkBunny7/08/2012

    After reading a lot of these comments, i was kinda nervous about making this. So, i decided to do it on a day when i could be at home and keep an eye on it. I stuck to the recipe for the most part, did the roux and everything. I got great results using a whisk to mix the roux, so that's different from just stirring it. I also used about 2 cups of rice, instead of the 1 1/2. I just didn't want to keep that little amount of uncooked rice around, since i just picked up a small bag of it. I also picked up a steam in the bag broccolli and cheese sauce packet that i mixed in before starting the crockpot. I used 2 chicken breasts, but cut them in half so they'd cook faster. I've found that a lot of these recipes come out drier if you use frozen chicken, so i've started avoiding that. Maybe the ice crystals in the meat make the moisture drain out more? I dunno. Since there was much dissent about flavor, i did dredge the chicken pieces in the fried chicken spices before putting them in the crock. I started it on high for half an hour to warm up the crock, then turned it to low for about 4 hours. Every hour i'd go use a spoon to pull the casserole away from the sides of the crock so it wouldn't burn. Once the chicken was cooked, i shredded it in the crock and mixed it into the casserole, then turned it to warm for another hour. Just now finished eating it, and my husband requested i make it again. It needed more cheese, and next time i'd probably double the spices. I certainly wouldn't leave the house for 6 hours with it cooking on low. This would also make a great puree for baby food. Super healthy, and bland enough to not offend. Oh, and i always use those crockpot liners, so sticking to the crock is never an issue for me, because i just pull out the liner, and toss. I run the crock throught the dishwasher once a week if i use it often. This also made a TON of food. Way more than 2 adults and a 3yr old could eat, so i'll be gifting it at work.

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  86. Hi there. Love that I found your site (referred by a friend when I shouted on Facebook that I am tired of making all the same things and does anyone have bright ideas for Crockpots). How many adult servings do you think this serves? I just did your feta/basil/olive/chicken crock pot this week - it was yummy! I have never really used basil in cooking before - except randomly - and enjoyed it a lot! Thanks!

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  87. Beth R.9/24/2012

    I made this last night and it burned and stuck to my crock pot as well. I sprayed the pot with non stick spray. Not sure what went wrong here. I cooked on low 8 hrs.

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  88. Hi Beth,
    I don't think you did anything wrong. This is not a very good recipe. I made it back in the very beginning of my slow cooking adventures and haven't revisited it in quite a while. I'm sorry you had a bad experience; I hate wasting food, and I'm so sorry this happened.

    If your crock is still having a hard time getting clean, drop in a dryer sheet overnight in the soaking water. The fabric softener in the sheet will lift all the baked on gunk right off.

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  89. This was dreadful. I tried it today and had it on low, planned for 8 hours, and got a text at about 1 (after only about 4 hours cooking time) saying it was BURNING. It was a mess, I ended up throwing it all out after having 2 spoonfuls. YUCK!

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  90. Anonymous11/12/2012

    This turned out good, cooked chicken from frozen in four hours and rice was great. Next time I'll add a bunch more spices as it was a little bland for us but definitely one I will make again and again.

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  91. This just went in the slow cooker and will be ready by dinner time. This is my first attempt at anything that isn't chili. Wish me luck!

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  92. I just made this tonight. Was great! I did cook it all day--about 8.5-9 hrs and the rice had absorbed all the liquid. It was quite sticky, and I needed to add more water, but it was still good. It definitely needed salt. I added buffalo sauce and it was perfect! Everyone ate it. I'll have to watch the cooking time better next time, and there will be a next time. Thank you! (ps--made it with Bob's Red Mill GF flour)

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  93. Just my 2 cents on chicken being dry - I was having this problem with every chicken dish I made in the cp. Couldn't figure it out when it was cooking in liquid all day. Then my chef bro-in-law told me it was b/c I was using boneless. The bone is what keeps the meat moist from the inside.

    Now any meat I cook in the crockpot I use bone-in as much as possible, even if it means needing to pull the meat out towards the end to pull/shred it off the bone. If I really need to use boneless I try to at least remember to marinate it (usually in milk) for several hours in the fridge first, or preferably overnight (but I figure even an hour is better than nothing).

    I know a lot of cp recipes call for boneless, so maybe some people aren't having that problem, but that's what worked for me!

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  94. My 14YO loved this but everyone else thought it was "meh". It is very bland. Like restricted diet hospital food bland. Like only toddlers who eat nothing but white bread and bananas bland. I expected it to be creamier but the rice absorbed almost all the liquid by about 3.5hrs and it cooked up slightly stickier than normal steamed rice. It made me feel like the effort of making the white sauce was a huge waste of time. I think it would have turned out the same with all broth. It probably would have been better with some milk (or some white sauce) stirred in near the end to give it a creamier texture. Not to mention some herbs for flavor!

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  95. cooked it on high 4 hrs and came home from church to burned edges of the rice and really dry chicken. just curious if all of us who had dry chicken and burned rice used a large crock pot? i think my problem is the large pot...more than the recipe.....anyone else think so?

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