By Screened porch addition. I've been talking about it for a year, and this January I finally did it — framed, screened, wired (naturally), with a ceiling fan and ambient lighting. The porch looks like the cottage porch. That was the point. Mama came up for the unveiling (Pierre drove) and stood on it and said, "It's the same, bébé." It's the same. The highest compliment. The same as the cottage porch where she's sat for sixty years. I built the cottage porch in Baton Rouge, because the cottage is getting older and Mama is getting older and the day may come when we can't go to the porch, so I brought the porch to us.
Made the first meal on the porch: a pot of chicken and sausage gumbo served in bowls on the porch table while the January air came through the screens and the ceiling fan turned slowly and Mama sat in a rocking chair that is not the cottage chair but is close, close enough, and she said, "Your father would have loved this porch, Tommy." And I said, "He does, Mama. He does."
Gumbo was the soul of that first night, but it’s the slow-cooker chicken and rice I come back to on the ordinary porch evenings — the ones where it’s just me and the fan turning and the screens holding the dark at bay. There’s something about a dish that cooks itself all day that feels right for a porch built on patience and memory. You set it going in the morning, and by evening the whole house smells like the kind of meal Mama would have made without a second thought, and you carry two bowls out to the rockers and you don’t need to say much at all.
Slow-Cooker Chicken and Rice
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 6 hrs | Total Time: 6 hrs 15 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Prep the slow cooker. Lightly grease the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin coat of butter.
- Layer the base. Pour the uncooked rice into the bottom of the slow cooker. Scatter the diced onion and minced garlic evenly over the rice.
- Mix the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and water until smooth. Stir in the thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chicken. Nestle the chicken thighs in a single layer over the rice and onion. Pour the soup mixture evenly over everything, making sure the rice is fully submerged.
- Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice has absorbed the liquid. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking.
- Shred and stir. Remove the chicken thighs and shred them with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine with the rice.
- Rest and serve. Let the dish rest uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Spoon into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and carry out to the porch.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 820mg