I am sorry I have been neglectful in reading many of your blogs and commenting lately. I am in the throws of tax season (one of my many jobs is as a tax preparer) and what I have now learned is called Wave Season in the traveling business. It is the time everyone books their Spring and Summer vacations. It has been a huge learning curve for me this year as I am booking my first cruises to Denmark, Russia, and Norway. I am Disney and Universal savvy but am learning a whole new industry. It is great but there is so much to learn. Plus I am traveling. Last week and this week I am actually in Wisconsin, Florida, and North Carolina for various events. I will be getting back to reading all your blogs real soon!
Well, one thing that helped me with meal planning in the beginning was to designate certain days of the week for certain meals. Monday was always busy so that was Slow Cooker day. Tuesday was soup day, Wednesday was casserole day, Thursday was breakfast for dinner day. Friday was pizza day. On the weekends I would prep for the week ahead and make larger meals for leftovers for lunches, cook extra meat for meals or freezing, and take an inventory of the refrigerator to see what I needed to use up. I still do a bit of this now but when things get busy I do fall back into that routine. It is especially helpful now when planning with my family for when I will not be there. They remember the days and what to do.
Verdict:
This was a good solid soup. Super easy to make and it is easy to adjust the flavor to your liking. My family loved that it was hearty enough to border on a stew with some bits to chew but still seemed like a soup. I liked that I could do a quick fry on the stove and dump it all into the slow cooker!
We served this with garlic bread and a green side salad.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 medium celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium potatoes , peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion, fine dice
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice blend
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
- 5 to 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 3/4 cup whole milk or fat free half and half
Directions:
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Lightly coat the bowl of a large slow cooker with nonstick spray.
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Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery, potato, and onion, and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper and warm for a minute to fragrant. Pour vegetables into slow cooker.
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Add rice to the vegetables in the slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts over the top of the rice and pour in 4 cups of chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
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Remove the chicken and cut into bite sized cubes. Return chicken to the slow cooker and place on low to keep warm. If the chicken finishes cooking before the rice, remove it first so that it does not overcook, then re-cover the slow cooker and continue cooking until the rice is tender.
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Once rice and chicken are cooked melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over the melted butter. Stir continuously for a minute or two until paste turns golden brown. Pour in the 2 3/4 cups milk in a thin stream stirring constantly to avoid lumps. . Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens.
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Pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. If you’d like a thinner soup, stir in additional chicken stock until your desired consistency is reached. Taste add additional seasonings to taste. Serve hot.
What's for Dinner Moms? 
I like your idea of designating meal days. We desperately need a plan for meals instead of constantly eating dinners out. I’m going to try this. And your soup. I’m a huge soup fan!
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I hope you find what works for you. Sometimes knowing it is casserole day makes it easier because we are not trying to think of too many choices for a meal. Let me know how it goes!
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I do this, too! At least I did years ago when my kids were small. Then I stopped for a long time, kind lost that discipline and routine. Ironically now that my kids are adults and I’m super busy with my job, I’m staring to find it difficult again to plan ahead and have something healthy to eat for dinner. Recently I remembered my old idea, and it really helps! Having “design constraints” prompts creativity. I might not be able to think of what to make for dinner in the abstract, but I CAN think of a casserole or soup or salad or stir fry or sandwich—or even “breakfast for dinner”—that would be fun.
P. S. ~ I love your blog💗
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Sorry for the typos! On my phone I’m all thumbs😄
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Lol, understand we all do it!
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Thank you so much! I love that you are going back to what works for you. It really does free up out mind if we can put even small parameters on the meals.
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Now you’re talking! 🌿🌱🍃
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Mmmmm this sounds good! I would love it and am definitely going to try it out!
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Thank you!
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This looks so tasty and super-easy to make. Good luck with your busy schedule and thank you so much for sharing!!
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Thanks for following along!
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I need to try this.
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Hope you like it!
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