Thank you Panera Bread!

While on vacation with Hoss, we took a run over to Pensacola Beach. We stopped for a lunch at a Panera Bread restaurant some where along the way. Having never been to a Panera before, I took a relatively safe chance on their BBQ chicken pita and a bowl of cream of chicken with wild rice soup. I was not disappointed! It was so good, naturally I had to try and make it once we got home.  I found a few recipes online that looked promising but needed a little tweaking so I got to work. This is what I ended up with!

Crock Pot Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

4 1/2 cups chicken broth 

2 cups water

1 package Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice (including the season packet)

1 cup chopped carrots 

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp. dried basil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups half and half

In a large crock pot, mix the first 9 ingredients, stirring to combine. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours. 

After cooking according to the time allotted, remove the chicken breasts and shred them with a fork and return to the crock pot. 

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter and then slowly stir in the half & half until well combined and smooth. Add pepper. 

Pour the cream mixture into the crock pot and mix well. Cook on high for about 15 more minutes.

Here is a shot of the yummy goodness you will end up with! Prepare to eat way too much!

A few notes on this recipe, for the chicken broth I use this: 

It is instant chicken bouillon and it is really cheap! A little goes a long way, just follow the instructions for making broth and use it instead.

I also use this for the veggies: 

I would use 2 bag just if you wanted a nice healthy amount of veggies, 1 bag if you don't. 

Oh and if you don't have half & half, just use half milk & half whipping cream.

Let me know what ya think of this recipe, we loved it!