Crock Pot Chicken & Brown Rice

Coming home from a road trip with a bad case of the GIs, and having not eaten anything in nearly 24 hours, I was finally in the mood for some real comfort food but did not want to expend any energy I didn't have in a complicated, multi-step preparation.  What could be more comforting on a careworn digestive system than chicken and brown rice?  And what could be easier than a can-o-dis recipe in a Crock Pot and taking a nap?

The problem was that all of my Internet research for such a recipe came up nil.  Either I had to sauté the onions or what-have-you beforehand; or I had to use instant rice, which I hate; or I had to make other last minute adjustments, like stirring in a roux.  I found the same thing with casserole versions of a recipe, and a number of food bloggers who confused Crock Pot cooking with casseroles.  They are not the same and you cannot have any such thing as a "Crock Pot casserole".

Even my own recipes were too complicated for what I wanted on this occasion, like my Brown Rice Casserole and Potluck Chicken and Rice Casserole. Great recipes, to be sure, but neither was translatable to a Crock Pot.

So, I improvised and this is what I created on what actually was a strangely chilly June day after forever regretting eating fried food at a greasy spoon bar in a Tennessee airport.

Ingredients
2 cups brown rice
1.5 lbs chicken tenders, cut into ~1-inch cubes
1 pkg dried onion soup mix (like, Lipton)
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1-1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots (thawed to room temperature)
3 cups chicken stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
3 cups boiling water
1 can chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (like, Campbell's)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup (like, Campbell's)
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Cherry Wood)
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

The Recipe
Preheat the Crock Pot for 30 minutes to an hour by filling with hot tap water, covering and setting on high heat.

Empty the Crock Pot, add the chicken, then all other ingredients except the parsley and the peas & carrots. Stir well to combine.

Cover and cook on high heat for two hours.  Check the liquid to be sure the rice has not absorbed it all.  Add more chicken stock or water if necessary.  Cook on low heat for another two hours. Add the dried parsley and the peas & carrots during the last hour of cooking.

Remove the bay leaves before serving.