Chicken and Rice

The finished chicken and rice paired with sautéed peppers
and onions.
(Photo: Morgan Nacewski)

Since creating this blog, I have cooked up some wonderful Crockpot meals. They are all unique in flavor, extremely easy to make and appealing to various consumers. The one problem I have run into is having an abundance of leftovers. Crockpot recipes often produce a large portion, and when you are only cooking for two, it is easy to run into this problem. 

The large portion the recipe produces is way too much
food for two individuals.
(Photo: Morgan Nacewski)

My solution to this was finding a "Plain Jane" kind of meal. There are a number of  advantages to a blander-style dish. I view a "Plain Jane" meal as a blank canvas.
You can add a unique twist to the meal every time you eat it like a new side. This makes the dish feel like less of a "leftover" and more like a series of new dishes. 

Chicken and rice is a great example of a "Plain Jane" meal. It consists of only a protein and a grain, but has endless possibilities. The recipe I used for this chicken and rice was found in the Crockpot Recipe Card Collection, the same place I found the macaroni and cheese recipe. 

All of the ingredients needed to make the
chicken and rice with the exception of the
chopped celery.
(Photo: Morgan Nacewski)

CHICKEN AND RICE
3 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups of uncooked instant rice 
1 cup of water 
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon of salt 
1/4 teaspoon of paprika 
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup of diced celery 

The only preparation that is required for the recipe is to dice the celery. As always, you simply place all of the ingredients into the Crockpot. Then turn the Crockpot on the highest setting and allow the ingredients to sit for four hours. Since this recipe does involve rice, I took it upon myself to stir the contents at least twice an hour. If you choose not to stir, it is quite possible that the rice will not cook as evenly. 

Before hour four comes to an end, you must choose a side to accompany the chicken and rice. Naturally, I chose to make sautéed pepper and onions because the photo on the recipe card depicts the dish with that side. In order to do this I simply sliced up an onion and red bell pepper. Next, I placed both into a pan with olive oil, pepper, garlic salt and a splash of teriyaki dressing. After a few minutes the vegetables will soften and are ready to serve.

The sliced vegetables only need a few spices
and a few minutes to transform into the perfect
side dish.
(Photo: Morgan Nacewski)

The sautéed vegetables complemented the chicken and rice wonderfully, but do not be afraid to pair the dish with something else. To make the meal a bit more hearty, you could add a nice piece of cornbread. A fresh garden salad would also be a great addition. You could also make some beans or salsa to give the dish a more Mexican vibe. 

The beauty behind chicken and rice is its versatility. Since the dish is so simple, it can easily be transformed and taken into countless directions. I know that I have given numerous suggestions on what to pair with the chicken and rice, but you should also know that the dish is also strong enough to stand alone. I hope you give this recipe a try and would love to see how yours turns out! Feel free to comment below with questions and thoughts.