I know I’m not the only parent out there looking for new things to cook in my crock pot. It’s the best way to make sure my family gets to eat something healthy and warm at the end of the day. Considering how busy we are some days - it’s often the only way to make sure we’re not eating cereal (not that there’s anything wrong with cereal for dinner… ahem…). So here’s another dinner that’s healthy, easy to throw together in the morning, and a crowd pleaser at the dinner table.

Before I get to the recipe itself let me pause for a moment of thanks for bags of frozen chicken thighs and breasts. {{{pause}}} Seriously, those bags of individually frozen chicken are one of the best inventions to hit the freezer section. I use them at least once a week - and as you’ve probably guessed, they are featured in this recipe as well:

Crock Pot Chicken & Rice
adapted from Better Homes & Garden’s Simple Slow Cooker Recipes

1 8oz container of fresh, sliced mushrooms
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 zucchini, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp black pepper
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (fresh or straight from the freezer is fine)
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups uncooked instant brown rice

1. Combine mushrooms, celery, onion, zucchini, dill & pepper in the slow cooker. Add chicken thighs.

2. In a small bowl combine mushroom soup with chicken broth. Pour over everything in the cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours (on high 2-3 hrs).
4. If cooking on low, turn to high heat at the end of the cooking time and stir in the rice. Cover and cook 10 minutes more or until rice is tender.

Especially nice on a chilly day, this one warms you up from the inside out and it fills your kids’ tummies with good healthy food. Enjoy!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her on Saturdays at the farmer’s market and the rest of the week out running, playing at the park, on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.