How do we celebrate fall, my friends? That’s right, we break out the sweatpants, and eat ourselves into a beautiful food coma. And of course, enjoy every single carb-loaded bite along the way. So GOOD NEWS on that front… this slow cooker chicken and wild rice stew will answer all of your comfort food prayers, and comes straight from the carb gods themselves [if you have questions, let’s just go ahead and not ask, because I don’t have answers — I only have stew. Which honestly is the answer. To everything? Basically.].
I mean, I really can’t think of a better way to christen soup season this year than with this stew. My favorite thing about the slow cooker is not only setting it and forgetting it – but everything is so melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Like, literally the chicken falls apart into the stew, which means ZERO work for you. And by that, I mean uncork a bottle of wine and bask in the glory of the slow cooker doing. it. all. Who isn’t on board with that?
Ever since I made this a few weeks ago, the sous chef has literally been asking me when I’m making this again. And LOVED the leftovers. I don’t know, after cooking soup for eight hours, can it even get more flavorful the next day? I think the sous chef is totally convinced it did. But then again, who isn’t obsessed with leftovers. I, for one, am all for making soup with like a half-dozen servings. Is it because leftovers are great? Absolutely. Is it also because stretchy waistbands allow for so much more than a serving? We’ll never know.
P.S. – the holidays are right around the corner, and I hear shapewear is the season’s hottest gift… so go forth, my friends, and enjoy this ridiculously delicious chicken and wild rice stew!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 8 hours |
| Servings |
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- 2 large chicken breasts trimmed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 6 oz. long and wild rice (herb and seasoning packet included)
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
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- To the slow cooker, add the chicken breasts, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, baby bella mushrooms, long grain and wild rice (seasoning packet included), sage, bouillon powder, ground pepper, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and cayenne powder. Mix to combine.
- Add the chicken stock, and mix again.
- In a sauce pan, melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour. Whisk until smooth and let cook for 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream, whisking quickly to keep to avoid lumps. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 5 minutes, until it thickens.
- Add the milk mixture to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 7 hours. After 7 hours, remove any chunks of chicken and shred. Return the chicken to the slow cooker. Cook for an additional hour, and turn to warm until ready to serve. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Our wine choice: the 2010 Cloud Break Chardonnay. This rich, buttery chardonnay has notes of vanilla and oak, followed by a lingering fruity finish. Cheers!
I absolutely love chicken and wild rice soup. Can’t wait to try this slow cooker recipe.
I hope you give it a try! Let me know what you think 🙂