Easy Crock Pot Meat and Rice Dish

Crockpots are the best thing since sliced bread, right? We’ve talked about great recipes, but sometimes you just need to throw some things in and forget it until it’s done. You don’t have time to brown meat first, create a sauce, or boil rice at the end of the meal. After all, one reason the crockpot is so great is that you can literally toss a bunch of ingredients in and at the end of a few hours you have a delicious meal. Little effort, but a healthy alternative for your family.

When I’m having a busy day, I like to make various versions of a meat and rice dish. The meats and veggies may change, but the concept is always the same. This is what I call my “busy meal recipe” or even my “Monday rice” (since Mondays seem to be the worst in terms of schedule.) Here’s how to make it.

Staples

I keep my pantry and freezer stocked with a few things all the time. That way, for example, I can pull out a packet of pork chops, some chicken breasts, or beef and still have a delicious dinner at the end of the day. Here are some things to keep on hand:

• Various frozen veggies
• Frozen proteins (chicken breasts, pork chops, and beef stew meat all work well)
• White rice
• Chicken broth
• Beef broth
• Various cans of cream soup (cream of chicken, celery, and mushroom work best)

Rice Dish

Making this dish couldn’t be easier. In the morning I take out my frozen protein (usually four pork chops, four chicken breasts, or beef stew meat.) I let it thaw on the counter or in the fridge, depending on how long I’ll be gone.

Place the meat in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour two cans of cream soup, whichever will complement your choice of protein. For chicken, I usually use a combination of cream of chicken and mushroom. For pork, I use a combination of cream of celery with cream of mushroom. Beef always gets cream of mushroom. Pour each can over the top of the meat.

Then, add one can of broth. The broth makes a more watered down sauce that will be easy for you to make the rice with later. Choose chicken or beef broth depending on what you’ve chosen for a protein. (I usually go with chicken broth for pork chops.) Pour broth over top of cream soups.
Close lid and cook for eight hours on low or four hours on high.

At the end of the cooking time, you can add your vegetables and rice. If you’ve been cooking on low up until this point, turn the crockpot up to high. Place one and a half cups plain (uncooked) white rice into the mixture. Stir so that the rice is mixed well within the liquid. Add one and a half cups of frozen vegetable (your choice) on top of that. Replace lid and cook for 15 more minutes.

At the end of that time, you’ll will have a complete meal (protein, starch, veggie) with very little effort. This is a great recipe to make when you’re really busy.

Image: sxc.hu.