Need a basic recipe in your arsenal that will make “happy plates”?
The girls loved it and asked for it again the next day. To add a twist to the leftovers, I sauted some baby spinach and then mixed in a serving of the Cheesy Chicken and Rice.
It added some green (which I love) and another dimension to the flavors. Hope you enjoy this easy family favorite!
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken & Rice
- Place chicken into crockpot and season with salt and pepper.Sprinkle your chopped onions on top of chicken.
- Mix together the chicken broth and can of cream of chicken soup.
- Pour mixture over chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Right before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks.
- Add in cooked & prepared Zatarain’s rice, cheese and corn.
- Mix well, until cheese is melted.
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Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 8oz box Zatarain's Yellow Rice, cooked according to package.
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese blend
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup (I used the healthy choice reduced fat and sodium)
- 1 15oz can of corn, drained
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Place chicken into crockpot and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle your chopped onions on top of chicken.
- Mix together the chicken broth and can of cream of chicken soup.
- Pour mixture over chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Right before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks.
- Add in cooked & prepared Zatarain's rice, cheese and corn.
- Mix well, until cheese is melted.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
The Crunchy Mamacita says
This looks so yummy! I would love for you to visit my new food blog, The Sweet Spot, and link up your recipes to my Mouthwatering Monday Link Party!
amy says
Does this turn out without the cream soup? I am gluten free 🙂 amy
Vickey says
I tried this with a boxed gluten free cream of chicken soup (Pacific is the brand) and it came out wonderfully!
Regina says
We just cooked this for lunch and it’s delicious! Adding it as a family favorite
Jenene Calloway says
We made it and thought it was delicious!!
Alexis says
Hi there. I know this recipe is old but hoping someone will answer! What size crock pot will this fit into. We have a smaller sized one.
Corey says
I like to use a 5-6qt crockpot for this recipe.
Alicia says
So we cook the whole 8oz box of rice? Looks so good! Making it today
Corey says
Yes, the whole box. I hope you love it Alicia.
Mims Morgan Williamson says
Hey, this was delicious and a big hit. Even my wife got seconds which NEVER happens. Thank you.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
This sounds great! I love quick crockpot meals!
Amanda says
Hello! Love your blog everything looks so yummy! Just a quick question for you though,…I’ve never heard of Zatarain rice and its definitely not sold anywhere around where I live. Can you tell me what it is so maybe I could find a substitution please?
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Zatarain Rice is a New Orleans Style yellow rice. You could substitute it with a seasoned yellow rice. Maybe even a Mexican yellow rice. It would have a slightly different flavor, but would still taste yummers! Hope that helps Amanda 🙂
Bugsy says
I doubt we could get this in Australia either. I am not sure we have any type of yellow rice. Could you possibly tell us what the ingredients on the box are, and we can try to find a substitute. – thanks. Love your recipes – they are awesome.
Tonia says
Make your own yellow rice 🙂 tammysrecipes.com has a yellow rice that I make all the time. My family loves it!! Here is the link : http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_yellow_rice
Meesha says
It was a little watery, but was a family hit.
Dianna says
I have made this multiple times. I put the rice in uncooked about 20 minutes before eating. The rice absorbs that extra liquid and is more like a casserole
Miz Helen says
I just love your Kid Tester, she is adorable! We are going to just love this dish with the Zatarain Rice to really give it a nice kick of spice and to have it in the Crock Pot, oh yes, I love it! Hope you are having a fabulous week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
The Crunchy Mamacita says
You were featured on The Sweet Spot! Be sure to come by, grab a button, and link up your newest recipes to this week’s Recipe Party!
4you-withlove says
Yummy and easy!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Audra @ Once a Mom Always a Cook says
This looks yummy and such a perfect meal to pop in the crock pot on a busy day! Thank you for sharing 🙂
CaroleM says
Yum! I ended up making this in my oven, but still wonderfully delicious. Thank you!
Tara says
How did you make in the oven?
Sarah says
Any idea about the poundage on the chicken breasts? We buy some organic ground chicken and wonder if that could be substituted. Alternatively, since I don’t cook meat that often, I’m wondering how well the chicken shreds or does it end up more like big chunks? Just curious! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and ideas!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
I would guess an average chicken breast weights about 3/4 to 1 lb. The chicken shreds super well… it looks just like pulled pork consistency when you take 2 forks to it.I am sure the ground chicken would taste just as good, but would just have a different consistency. I hope that helps.
Leanna says
Looks great! Have you ever tried adding the rice to the crockpot after the chicken’s almost done? Im wondering if it would cook alright and that way I don’t have to use another pot.
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
I have never tried it that way. Let me know how it turns out if you do!
kristencox says
I am making this now, how much liquid should be left in the crock pot after the chicken is cooked? It seems like I have a lot. Should I take some out?
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Kristen, I didn’t take any out. Look over the directions again to make sure you did all the correct measurements. I know it might look like a lot, but when you add in the rice cheese and corn at the end, it all thickens up. Hope that helps!
Lorena says
I read the instructions several times and also had quite a bit of liquid left. I just drained it.. wonder why though?
deb says
Did you put a can of water in with the cream of chicken? I was unsure wether or not to do this?
Vicky says
You list 1.5 c chick broth in the ingredients, and 2 c in the directions. Which is it? TY
Corey says
That has been corrected, sorry Vicky.
kristencox says
Hey Corey, we just had this for dinner and I have a 5 year old girl 2 and 1 year old boys. The two oldest said that they were not going to eat it because it didn’t look good to them. I made them taste it and all three of them LOVED it. They had a ton of it. Thanks for a great recipe!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
That is AWESOME Kristen!!!! I love to hear stories like this 🙂
Peggy says
Mine turned out like that also
Tara says
I made this tonight & it was really. really good 🙂 Thank you!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know! I am so glad it turned out for you!
XO
Jennifer Kendall says
This seems like a really good low fat meal! I just recently had my gallbladder taken out so I kind of have to have a low-fat diet. I was wondering, do you know how much total fat this meal has? If not that’s totally fine, but I just wondered. 🙂
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Jennifer, I really don’t off hand, but there are a ton of sites out there that you can quickly input the recipe items and can tell you. I love the one on My Fitness Pal… and it is free!
Kari says
This is finishing up in the crockpot now. The test bite before the garlic bread is done got “oh my god this is amazing” from my hubby! So easy and yummy to boot. Thanks for the great recipe.
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Hehehe…. your hubby’s comment MADE my night. Thank you so much for stopping by to share 🙂 Enjoy dinner! XO
lisa kelly says
Hey! Thanks for this great looking dish, as I am cooking it in my crockpot right now 🙂 I accidentally picked up chicken broth instead of stock so my mixture didn’t come out quite as good as yours….Hoping that doesn’t mess up the recipe 7 hours from now :/ lol
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Sorry just saw this Lisa! How did it go? Hope it turned out ok 🙂
Gretchen March says
I know this post was over 4 years ago, but I went to the store and got chicken STOCK, following the ingredients list, and then saw in the instructions to add chicken BROTH. I had some on hand so I used the broth, but am now bummed because it looks like I should’ve used the stock I planned on in the beginning! 🙁 Can you please confirm which one I should’ve used? Also, I only have rice pilaf, not yellow rice. Do you think this will work? Thanks in advance. Hope it’ll turn out ok!!
Corey says
Hi Gretchen! I have used both stock and broth. A subtle taste difference, but not much. I have only made this recipe with the listed yellow rice, so i can’t say how well rice pilaf will work. Sorry!
Marlene says
Any cooked rice will work, just a difference in flavor but not consistency. Zatarain’s is too spicy for me, so I used a Spanish rice mix; tasted great!
deux adore says
my almost 2 year old son loves this crockpot meal!!!! thanks!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Awesome! That is so great to hear 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by to let me know. XOXO
Rebekah says
Looks yummy. Have you ever used this as a freezer recipe? I am thinking that the rice would get mushy…perhaps I could add the rice after it thaws?
Angela says
Did you ever try the freezer option? I’m looking for meals for my sister that I can freeze then she can thaw to cook in crockpot for ease. Did the rice get mushy?
Sharon says
For the yellow rice, Saffron is the key ingredient in The Zatarains rice mix. I live in Louisiana and buy this rice a lot!! Never thought about using it like this recipe says though and can’t wait to give it a try!!
Corey says
I hope you give it a try and love it Sharon! XO
Dara says
I accidently made it too salty with onion salt (the whole thing dumped instead of the shaker). It was still good. I actually only had white rice on hand so made yellow rice with turmeric. That was my first stab at that and it came out really good. My husband is lactose intolerant and still ate it knowing his pain come the following day. Will be making again.
Corey says
I am so glad it turned out for you! That is the biggest compliment ever… that your lactose intolerant hubby ate this meal knowing the pain that would come! I hope it’s not too bad 🙂 XO
jen says
Hi – my boyfriend and I don’t eat any processed foods. So the canned soup is out for us. What can
I replace it with that doesn’t come in a can or jar or package? Also, I’m assuming making this grain free would be fine? Sorry to be a pain! Just need some recipes to make chicken semi edible. We hate, hate, HATE chicken, but as it’s relatively inexpensive, we tend to eat it at least three times a week. Hoping to be able to make this.
jen says
I’m thinking possibly just using a heavy cream in place of the soup? And taking out the corn? I’ll make my own rice and stock, and I think that that would fix it up?
Corey says
That sounds like a plan 🙂 Can you do cream cheese?
jen says
No, he’s lactose intolerant. Which really is not cool I love cream cheese.
Tabatha Follman says
It is possible to make your own cream of whatever soup. Google how to make it online. And then you can make sure that you use ingredients that you feel comfortable using
Nina says
I used cream of celery (ran out of cream of chicken soup) and I added black bean, boom they were so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Corey says
Sounds yummy Nina! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sam says
Cooking this today…. I’m guessing its quite good for leftovers? The recipe makes a lot so As long as reheated well?
Anna says
I plan on cooking this today! I can’t find Zatarain’s rice at any stores around where I live. Can I substitute brown rice? If so, what seasonings do you suggest I add in the absence of the seasoned rice?
Corey says
I have only made this with Zatarain’s rice. Sorry! Any sort of Mexican rice would also work. If you cannot find that and only have brown rice, maybe use some salsa and cumin. I hope that helps!
cHRISTOPHER HOSSLEY says
cAN I COOK EVERYONE ALL TOGETHER ONE TIME ???
Jessica says
Hi! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried freezing the leftovers? We only need about 3-4 servings but it would nice to have an extra meal already made in the freezer. Thanks!
Dolly says
the corn just didn’t sound good but frozen peas are the magic touch! i love that yellow rice so of course it would make any dish yummy! not big on white meat either so thighs work really well. i just wanted to find a recipe for creamy, cheesy chicken that i could make my own. with a little tweeking, this rocks!
Binta says
I ran to the store to get the Ingredients for this recipe and they were out of yellow rice. So I bought the Zararins Rice Pilaf! I’m scared….lol
Wish me luck 🙂
Corey says
Sounds like a yummy plan to me! I am sure it will be great!
Sue says
Made this for dinner today! It was delicious! Carolina rice makes rice with Saffron and without the MSG. My family was crazy about this dish and I made a little extra rice for another dinner tomorrow. I recommend this dish highly!
Kara says
Thank you for this comment – there was no Zatarain’s Yellow Rice at my grocery store so I’m using Carolina – nice to know about the MSG.
Jennifer says
Can’t wait to try this! It sounds so good! One quick dumb question- do you cook the corn first or does it heat in the crock pot?
Thank you!
Corey says
Not a dumb question at all. It will heat up in the crockpot 🙂
Deborah says
Thanks for the new recipe. Instead of corn, I added frozen broccoli florets about 30 minutes before I was ready to serve. I really liked it. We are serious cheese lovers, so I think when I make it again I might try using cheddar cheese soup instead of cream of chicken. Other than that two thumbs up.
LL says
Oh heck yes! Just straight up delish! Best crackpot recipe of yours yet! (& I’ve made a ton of yours so far). There was so many leftovers too, even though we all ate a lot, which is just plain awesome. I will add lots more veggies next time.
Corey says
Thank you so much!
Kurt says
Made this a few weeks ago and my girl and I loved it.
Jennifer Simmons says
Could you use frozen chicken breasts or do you think they need to be thawed first?
Lindsay says
My rule of thumb for crock pot chicken is to thaw first. You can use frozen chicken but the thawing may make the recipe slightly watery and of course the cooking will take longer.
Lindsay says
I made this over the weekend, but with a twist! After the chicken was cooked, I removed it from the juices in the crock pot to shred and mix in cheese, rice and corn. Then, I put the mixture in tortillas and rolled them up and placed them in a baking dish. Next, pour the juices from the crock pot over the tortillas, sprinkle some cheese on top and bake for 10-15 min on 350 or until the cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and fat free cream cheese and you have cheesy chicken enchiladas.
Jennifer says
Saw a couple other people ask this but there were no replies. Do you think this would freeze ok after its done??
Mandy says
I was wondering how you would go about popping this in the oven? This seems like a fantastic meal!
Kathy says
I’ve tried this and it’s great! However have you found any brand of the cream of chicken soup that doesn’t have all the additives/junk in it? I haven’t had luck :/
Thanks in advance!
Mandy says
We made this for dinner tonight. It is so good, my kids are asking for more! I don’t know if there is a difference between stock and broth, but I used chicken broth and it was runny. I added some cream of celery to it and took the excess juice out to make the rice. Everything turned out perfect! Thanks for posting this delicious recipe and for making my life easier with all of your crock pot meals.
sarah says
Love this recipe I did change it a little however I added black beans and changed it to cheese rice instead of yellow. 🙂
Derek says
The ingredients call for 2 cups of chicken stock, yet the instructions says mix in the chicken broth. Which is it?
Jessica says
Hi, I love all your recipe ideas. I have a crock pot sitting in my closet, for a couple of years now that I haven’t touched. After looking through all your fabulous meal ideas, I just can’t wait to try it out. My question is are there certain ingredients that I should always have on hand? Thanks 🙂
Corey says
I guess good shelf stable items would be broth, lentils, some canned beans and then some frozen chicken breast, or stew meat. You can make a ton with those staples 🙂
Corey says
I guess good shelf stable items would be broth, lentils, some canned beans and then some frozen chicken breast, or stew meat. You can make a ton with those staples 🙂
jessica says
Can i mix in all of the ingredients at once before i go to bed? Or do i absolutely HAVE to wait until almost serving time to add the rice, corn, and cheese? (I can wait to add the cheese, but i wanna add the rice and corn now, if its not gonna ruin it) Im trying to be domesticated since my boyfriend and i moved in together lol but i dont wanna ruin the meal because i was inpatient…. thanks!
Corey says
I would wait Jessica. The other ingredients will over cook.
Paige Gregory says
I made this last week and it turned out great! So flavorful. Thank you for sharing.
Roxana Wun-Lenton says
I made this dinner tonight… all I can say is WOW!!! super easy, delicious and everyone was happy. I not only have a 3 yr old who loved it but also my 85 yr old grandma is super picky on foods she doesn’t cook herself (we’re Peruvian) and she doesn’t cook the food she will nit pick anything on the dinner table… She had no words after she ate some… So… YAY Thank you!!! I had run out of yellow corn so I used a white yellow mix… came out yummy and since we’re all cheese lovers I added half a cup more lol. Thank you for posting this recipe! It has become a new family favorite
*Thanks a million a grateful 29 yr old cooking for her family*
Corey says
Yay! Thanks so much for the super sweet comment Roxana!
james says
could i use onion flakes instead of onion. i don’t want to have to deal with the onion. also how long before i serve do i add the rice, corn and cheese? i am cooking at my house to take to my friends. can i add it before i leave my house?
Jgile says
I just made this recipe. Was the first I have made from this site and have several more I plan on making. I ended up draining off about 1/2 cup of liquid (my 4 chicken breasts weren’t huge) and after adding the rest if the ingredients it was still very runny, almost the consistency of creamed corn. But the taste and combo of ingredients was awesome. Loved the flavor which is the most important part. I will definitely make again but reduce liquids
Mallory says
I’m cooking this right now! It smells really good! I didn’t dice the onions but left them in strands. Waiting to be able to shed the chicken and give everything a try! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Corey says
I hope you love it Mallory!!
Mallory says
Oh my gosh! This is sooooo good! My two year old is loving it as well! Probably because it has cheese and rice in it. Thank you for this simple yet delicious recipe! Adding this to my favorites! Yum!
Rachel says
I am soooo looking forward to making this but I had a question…. What size crockpot did you use? I have an 8 qt crock pot and I have had to double or even triple the ingredients to fill it enough to cook properly.
Corey says
I used a 6 qt crockpot for this recipe 🙂
Candice says
Making this recipe as I type. I did however find the same rice at my local Walmart where they have rice o’roni. I live in Washington state also, I’m seeing a lot of people not being able to find the same rice used in the recipe. Excited to taste this.