Chicken & Rice & Kielbasa

Recipe for your slow cooker - 4 hours on HIGH

You need :

Olive oil

Kielbasa (1 ea - about 11 oz)

Chicken thighs (3-4)

Onion, chopped (1 medium)

Garlic, minced (5 ea cloves)

Carrots, chopped  ( .5 cups)

Celery, chopped ( .5 cups)

Bell pepper, chopped (1 medium)

Rice, brown or converted (2 cups)

S&P (or other seasoning mix)

Saffron (if on hand would add wonderfully to this dish, use 2-3 threads)

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a medium sized skillet on medium. 

Add (about 11oz) kielbasa (G/F) or sausage (kielbasa gives a great flavor!) Brown to your desire. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to your (greased) slow cooker. 

Add 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless skinless (mine were in strips) you don't need to cook completely, just add some browning. Transfer with slotted spoon to slow cooker. 

Add your onion (1 medium chopped) and garlic (5 cloves, minced). Cool until onion becomes translucent. Pour entire contents of skillet into slow cooker. 

Add to slow cooker chopped carrots (.5 cup), chopped celery (.5 cup), chopped bell pepper (1medium), 2 cups rice (I used whole grain brown, don't tell my husband. He likes white and didn't know the difference in the end), and 4 cups (G/F) chicken stock/broth. Season slightly. I used a premixed seasoning that I use on almost everything. I shook the pot gently so the rice settled beneath the liquid. 

Let cook on high for 4 hours. Everything stays layered so when you serve, either stir (gently) or make sure you scoop all the way from the bottom. 

Taste is surprisingly wonderful. Well worth the effort. The kielbasa really adds to this dish. I didn't add saffron but this dish would definitely be complimented by it.