The slow cooker rice casserole is my new go-to meal option. Seriously, changed my life…not only is it just insanely easy, but it’s the best way I’ve come up with like, ever, to use up my random assortments of leftovers. I have yet to find anything that doesn’t marry up with rice.
What’s even better is the texture is nothing short of, well, stuffing. And if you’re a stuffing hoarder like me this is pretty much the best thing since Stove Top.
I could eat nothing but stuffing for the rest of my life and be totally happy. It’s the epitome of carby, sweet, savory, salty, warm, comforting goodness. But this casserole? It’s like I transported through time to the Thanksgiving table. And it’s about a thousand times easier to make. And yes, I know stuffing is super easy to make anyway. Think about that one…
I wish there was a way to take a picture of this that didn’t make it look like a pile of something nasty because it’s so effing good I can’t even stand it. I mean, it’s a literal mash up of a million things so I honestly don’t know what to do unless I dressed up the dish with a sash and crown and just called it America’s Sweetheart. Maybe that would get the point across? Maybe I just need more sleep.
This recipe is extremely customizeable…note how pretty much every ingredient has something else that could fill in. Honestly, feel free to use whatever you’ve got on hand. The basic formula that works the best for me is just 2 cups of dry rice, 4 cups of liquid (like stock) and a can (1 1/2 cups) of coconut milk to add some richness. On top of it all…anything goes. So go nuts! (Add nuts!!)
- 2 c dry white rice
- 4 c liquid (I used about 3 c of chicken stock and 1 c water)
- 1 1/2 c coconut milk (or milk of choice)
- 1-2 c shredded cooked turkey (chicken also works)
- 1 box sliced mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 c cubed butternut squash or sweet potato
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 c fresh cranberries
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 T dried sage
- 1 T dried rosemary
- 1 T dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- Toss everything in the slow cooker.
- Give it a quick stir to combine.
- Cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 6 hours. Stir once or twice to make sure everything gets distributed evenly.
- Can be left longer if needed, but be aware that the longer it cooks, the softer the rice will be (I actually like it that way!)
