Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice (The downside of being a Swan Princess)
I have a firmly held belief that the most important lessons in life are learned in Kindergarten. For this reason (and many others) when my five year old speaks, I listen. Oftentimes she’ll say something that has me stifling a giggle (Katy Rose does not like for folks to laugh at anything she says right now unless she clearly states that it is a joke beforehand), but others she’ll speak something truly profound and in her innocence has no idea that she has just opened her mama’s eyes to wisdom once again.
Yesterday, we were sitting in the living room together. Katy Rose was watching the Swan Princess while I worked on my laptop. The movie came to a part where the “evil guy” (as Katy Rose put it) was trying to keep the Swan Princess prisoner and Katy watched for a few moments before turning to me in absolute frustration.
“You see that, Mama? See that stuff right there? That is why I’ve decided I don’t want to be a princess when I grow up anymore – because you have to deal with that evil stuff.” She huffed and looked back for a moment, clearly disappointed in the downside of her now former dream before adding, “So here is what I’m going to do. If I have kids, I’ll just be a Mama. If I don’t have kids, I’m just going to live with you forever, okay?”
“Okay Katy Rose, that works for me”
Bless her heart, at five years old she just really feels compelled to have her entire life plotted out and realizing there was a downside to royalty threw her for a loop.
Fact is, there is a downside to every dream no matter how big or small it is. Look at people whose lives you dare to envy. Actors and actresses appear to have it all but can you imagine the frustration of not being able to run to the grocery store or go to lunch with a friend without folks stalking you with cameras and such? The hours they spend memorizing lines, being berated by directors for improper delivery, pressure of keeping up appearances. Reading glowing praise about yourself one day and scathing criticism the next. Sure, they may have a lot of money but they have a whole heap more bills than us that go with that. Staff, security, etc. There is a downside to it all and although we may hold them at arm’s length as if they are somehow a different class from us, they are just people beneath it all, same as we are.
I don’t reckon a lot of us think on the downside of our dreams and that is a good thing, because the upside of things is infinitely more inviting anyway. The funny thing that struck me most though, is that out of Katy’s two fallback dreams, both of them revolve around family.
With that in mind, how many of us are living the dream right now? You may look at starring in a movie as the “dream” but I packed two lunches this morning and watched two beautiful little blonde heads bob to the car as they headed off to school.
There may be a big reserved room for someone in a fancy restaurant with patrons dressed in formal attire but tonight I’m going to sit down to dinner with my husband and kids at an old oak dinner table and I doubt a single one of us will even be wearing shoes.
When I lay my head down at some point after the sun sets today I won’t be in a luxury suite, but I will be in our warm house, safely sheltered with a peacefully sleeping family and a big old dog snoring at the foot of my bed.
When I wake up tomorrow, I’ll have a big grin on my face and a song in my heart.
Living the dream, folks. Living the dream.
Now for the food….
You talk, I listen. Well, I listen whenever I can, of course! Folks have been asking for more slow cooker recipes for a multitude of reasons. Who doesn’t like to come home and have supper all cooked and waiting for them? I know I sure do! This is a recipe I modified for the slow cooker and some of you will be happy to know I also removed the entire stick of margarine it called for. Others, like myself, will shrug and go on with things. Because, in the grand scheme of the world, there are more important things to concern myself with than whether or not I’m ingesting a tablespoon of margarine with my chicken and rice ~winks~.
Alright, lets get cooking!
~revs up the engine~
Hello easy!
You’ll need: Yellow Rice*, Cream of Chicken, Whole kernel corn, onion, chicken breasts, and shredded cheddar cheese.
I love Zatarain’s rice, one of my favorite meal helpers. If you want to use the lower fat cream soup that’s fine in this. A lot of folks have been making my Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice with cream of chicken because they don’t care for cream of mushroom and that is great, too! Make it your own and tweak these recipes however they work best for your family.
Place your chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker. Chop up onion and toss on the top.
Getting ready for my book tour, I made Ricky watch me do this. I kept telling him “Now you can do a slow cooker, its easy to cook supper if you just throw it all in and then finish it up when you get home from work. See how I’m doing this? See how simple this is?” He nods and feigns interest but who are we kidding? It’ll be pizza and happy meals the whole time I’m gone…
Spoon or glob your cream soup over that.
Y’all don’t be fooled by me using name brand soup here. I got it on sale. I’d use Timbuktoo brand if it saved me ten cents.
Now cover this and cook it according to the following:
Low – 7-8 hours
High 3-4 hours.
This is great to put on in the morning on the weekends if you cook it on high and then have a nice meal at lunchtime.
When it is done cooking, drain your corn and toss that in along with your cooked rice and cheddar.
You’ll need to cook your rice before this step. What I like to do is cook my rice the night before and just stick it in the fridge. Then you can dump it in and stir it up and give it a minute or two to get heated. You can also cook your rice soon as you get home, though. It’s still an easy and delicious supper!
Stir all of that up and give it a few minutes to get all heated and warm (this won’t take long)
This stuff is to die for. Prepare for a happy landing in your stomach!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
- 1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
- 1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
Instructions
- Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
- 1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
- 1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
Instructions
- Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
Are you living the dream?
Tell us how each day is a dream come true in the comments
section below!
I updated my Tales from the Tour section with the latest goings on. Click here to read that section of Southern Plate if you’d like. I don’t send those updates out to my email subscribers (don’t wanna bog down your inbox) so you might have missed a few posts. Right now we’re just gearing up over there but it will get more lively as I start to travel more!
“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today.
It’s already tomorrow in Australia.”
~giggle~
~Charles Schultz. Submitted by Amy. Submit your quote by clicking here.
The book is already showing up in some stores!
SIX days until the official debut and we’re still the #1 Southern Book on Amazon right now thanks to you!
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Sep 29 2010. Filed under Crock Pot, Main Course, Quick&Easy.
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Found on Pintrest! Love your detailed directions! Both kids gave it a thumbs up! Woo Hoo! Just like you said…happy landing in your stomach!
Welcome to Southern Plate Tina!!! So glad you found us and I am glad to hear that this recipe was a hit in your house!!!
Christy, I read this and CRIED MY EYES OUT! We all get so caught up with “living the American dream” but if we just stopped for a few seconds, we could realize that we have the “American dream” living in the house with us every day! Thanks again Christy!
I found this on pinterest and it looks so yummy! I am going to start it in the morning so it’ll be ready for lunch. I can’t wait! Thank you
This recipe is a homerun! Has anybody tried to freeze it and then reheat it?
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Christy this is one of your recipes that is my fav. It is soooo good. I made it last week for a single lady at our church who recently lost her mother and I put it in small containers and froze it. I have done this before and it freezes great. I just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and bake the next day.
Have you tried substituting anything else for the corn. I have diverticulitis and cannot have corn. I miss my Jersey Corn soooo much.
my hubby says adding bacon makes it better & of course my son adds hot sauce to everything but i do wish i would have used cooked onions as i didn’t love the texture my onions were after it cooked otherwise this is an awesome dish
Made last night and it was great! Thank you for the recipe!!
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Lisa!!!!
Just made this today while at work! It was delish
Thankyou.
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Ashley!!!
In the finished picture it looks like the chicken is broken up….do you keep the chicken as whole pieces or break it up? Looks delicious, can’t wait to try.
This looks delicious and I have the chicken cooking in the crockpot right now! I was wondering though, if any rice will do, or if Zataranz yellow rice gives the best results??
Made this Monday. Yummy! I added the rice at the start with the water called for on the box and it came out perfect. Thank-you for a great recipe!
You are so welcome, I am so glad it was a hit!!!
I made this for a family dinner tonight and it was delicious! I followed directions to a T and it was amazing! This will be a regular from now on. Thanks!
[...] I always add more cheese on top. I love me some cheese. Here's a link if you want to pin it Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice (The downside of being a Swan Princess) | Southern Plate __________________ Just because I can't change everything, doesn't mean I shouldn't try to [...]
might seem like a dumb question….when you place it in the bottom of the crockpot…do you not have to cover with water?
no. the slowcooker makes steam and moisture, you could use a liner or spray the slow cooker first
I made this today for dinner and it is soooo good !!!! thank you for sharing.
My husband gave this a thumbs down and called it flavorless. Any seasoning suggestions (if I am ever authorized to make it again)?
As long as you used the ingredients listed it is a really flavorful dish (The Zatarain’s brand are known for their yummy spices – which is what makes it so good in this) . I’m sorry he didn’t like it!
That’s what I’d do!
My best advice would be to tell your husband HE gets to make supper
Made it tonight, really yummy but I also feel it was missing something. I used cream of chicken, will use cream of onion next time and maybe sharp cheese. I also used frozen corn (put it in while the rice was cooking) and it worked well. Wonder how it would be with a tbs of homemade taco seasoning?
It’s totally personal taste but I think I’d go with poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning, and maybe a little salt and pepper?
We just eat it as is though (making sure to use Zatarain’s yellow rice because it has a LOT of seasoning in it) so you gotta go with your gut on this one. Your gut won’t steer you wrong!
I think I’m gonna throw in a can of green chilies for some “zing” when I make it…you may wanna add some cumin or whatever to give it a little “Southwest” flavor…just an idea…
Yes, I am definitely living the dream. Two healthy kids, a comfortable house, a husband that loves me and provides for us-it is a good life that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Thank you Lord for blessing me! And this chicken and rice looks great-I just found your website and I will be a frequent visitor to southernplate.com now!
Found this on pinterest the other day. Have the chicken in the crockpot right now! Although I haven’t tasted the final project, I know I’m going to love it. I like that the prep time is fast, it’s pretty cheap to make, and that I can make as much as my crock pot will hold! Thanks for the idea and step by step instructions!!
Made this for dinner today. I used Philadelphia Cooking Cream – Santa Fe style, instead of the cream of chicken soup. Gave it a tangy flavor. UUUMMMM Good!
Oh my goodness, I have to try that!!
I making this right now! Can’t wait to try! Thank you!
I’m*
I am making this for the second time tonight. The first time I was out of corn (who runs out of corn???) so I substituted black beans. I did marinate my chicken breast over night in a dry fajita rub. Other than that I followed it to a T on low and it was great! My husband ate 3 helpings!!!
I am so glad it was a hit Tracy!!!!
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Saw this on Pinterest and was intrigued. Then I was so excited that this recipe came from YOU! My son adores that yellow rice and I can never get enough protein in my husband (who is a boxer and eats like a horse) so we’ll be trying this ASAP. Thanks.
I hope everyone enjoys it!!!
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Do you put any water in the crock, if so how much? Thanks in advance.
No water in crock pot unless you are cooking on low all day and want to include the water & rice as directed on the rice packaging.
My husband is putting this in the crockpot while I’m at work today! We’re just using long grain white rice and adding some salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin to the crock. He didn’t have any trouble putting it together. I’m excited to get home and try it!
I hope you like it Leah!! And goodness, give that man a big ole hug!!
Hi Chrisy! I was wondering about doubling the recipe. Do I need to cook the chicken longer?
Thanks!
It will work fine so long as your slow cooker will hold it all. You will need to add a little to the cooking time but not too much.
Thanks for the recipe–looks deLISH!! And love the story–so true.
[...] based casserole,so i decided to give a slow cooker spin to casserole.My dish is based on this Cheesy Chicken Recipe . I tweaked couple of things. Cheesy Chicken and [...]
Hi. How many does this feed? Trying to decide if I need this doubled. Thanks!
I have a potluck this Saturday so I will be making this, it will be easy to do and I am sure everyone will like it! I know I love things like this and try to use the crockpot 3-4 times a week.
I don’t think I saw a reply to someone’s question about whether you shred the chicken after cooking and return it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. In the picture it looks shredded.
I’m sorry! I don’t actually shred it, but it cooks so tender that when you stir rice in it breaks up so I just break it up more with my spoon to make it even
THIS IS DELICIOUS AND SO EASY TO FIX. THANKS CHRISTY!
Hello! I have to say that I read this recipe over today, and I just had to have it for supper tonight…..well, the only “cream of” soup I had was broccoli….and I had a package of mozzarella cheese shreds….and I had leftover rice….SO….and it is absolutely delicious!!!! I am normally totally afraid to play with a recipe in any way, but I just HAD to have this tonight! LOL Anyway, I sure do appreciate that you did most of the work! Thank you so much!
Made this last night and it was a major hit. I put it in the crock pot before I left for work and it had to cook longer than the 7-8 hours so I added a healthy splash of chicken broth. The chicken was sooooo tender. This will definitely be a repeat recipe.
I am so glad to hear it was a hit Nancy!!!!
I made this last night for dinner. I put it in my crock pot before leaving for work. I set my crock pot on low for 8hours then after cooking my pot switches to warm. When I got home I tossed in my rice (which I cooked the night before), corn, and cheese! Mixed it all up and dinner was served! It was delicious! Next time I fix it I’ll make sure to invite some people over to eat too…it is a lot of food! Way more than my boyfriend and I could eat…but I brought leftovers for lunch
thanks for a great recipe!
I am so glad to hear that you liked it Christina!!!!
Made this stovetop tonight, since I didn’t get it put into the crock pot this am. I grated the onion, stirred occasionally, started with raw rice rather than cooked, and it turned out great! A good combination of ingredients, no matter how it is cooked.
I am so glad to hear that you like it!!!
Good! kids like it! chicken was done in 3.5 hrs, juicy, not dry! good quick easy dinner when u dont want to heat up the kitchen!
Made this for dinner tonight! Delicious!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I tried this recipe tonight and it was a big hit with picky DH!
can you use this recipe with frozen chicken?! and if so does it change up the cook times? I SOOOOOO wanna do this tonight bc its the middle of the “almost out of groceries but have enough to throw something together before payday” week
so right now i have frozen chicken breast. Any advice would be GREAT! thanks again for your delicious recipes
Welp no need for a reply used the frozen chicken and cooked it on high for 2 hours then put it on low for the remaining time and the chicken is perfect. I didnt have zatarans rice but i had a lipton chicken rice packet and lipton cheddar broccoli packet so i went with the chicken rice this time. and I only had shredded mexican 4 cheese blend so im using that too. fingers crossed its still ass delicious as everyone else has said it is!
Lol. Were at that stage now. Groc shopping tomorrow. My best meals come from whatever i have to put together yet still be healthy.
Was wondering if there was something different you could use for the rice since Zatarans has sooo much sodium? Anyone have any suggestions?
is there any other kind of rice you can use. Zatarans is so high in sodium.
Judy I would try using plain rice and adding your own seasonings to it so you can control the amount of salt, etc. That’s what I’m doing since I never buy Zatarans.
Keep in mind that Zatarains is what brings in a ton of flavor so experiment with the seasonings and maybe add a little more than you think you’ll need
anyone tried this with frozen corn instead of canned?
It’ll work just fine but I’d add frozen corn thirty minutes before adding cooked rice. Stir it in and allow to cook half hour then continue. I love frozen corn!
thanks! will try after my next grocery store trip!
I have this in the crockpot now, should be done in just a few minutes
As I was mixing it together, it dawned on me that I make something very similar from a recipe I got from the grocery store flyer! 1 box macaroni and cheese (the one with the cheese pouch) cooked according to directions. Stir in 1 or 2 cans drained tuna, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can corn, drained… I forgot what the actual instructions say, but we just put it in the microwave long enough to heat all the ingredients. Dinner in a jiffy and oh, so yummy 
This is one of my son’s favorites!
Just tried this out tonight it is hazy hot and humid in MD and this was great for this kind of day. I used chicken tenders instead of breast and they shredded a bit on me. My son doesn’t like Zatarains so we used Rice a Roni chicken flavor. My hubby like it but I think I need to tinker with the spices. I know that the first thing I will try is the chicken with herbs soup mix! Thanks for the recipe!
Is there a way to make this that u can include the rice in the crockpot without cooking it on the stove? I was thinking to add it much later with the appropriate amount of water but just not sure if that will turn out ok.
Mandie…I think the rice would absorb all the water it could hold and make it mushy, if it’s not cooked first. That’s my experience but I could have done it wrong.
It’s been warm here the last few days but I’ve been having a hankering for chicken and rice casserole…but not the hot oven. This turned out GREAT!! I realized though that I need to get to the store. I didn’t have any canned corn so I used carrots instead and added a splash of white wine
FANTASTIC.
have you ever tried with cream of mushroom soup instead? I don’t care for cream of chicken. I am going to try this recipe tomorrow. Thanks for recipe. I am always looking for easy, quick to do crockpot and yummy recipes.