Broccoli-Mushroom Rice: Crockpot style

The nice thing about this recipe is that it has diverse application. So far I've used it for both Italian and Chinese dishes with success! As a side note, I HATE cooking rice on the stove, mainly because I seem to SUCK at it. My husband can do it without having a half inch layer of rice stuck to the pan, why can't I??? /sigh. I'll be ok. I just prefer a rice cooker, and right now we don't have one (our other one broke and I want a very specific new one so....I'm a picky little whiner lol!) Trolling one of my favorite websites ever, A Year f Slow Cooking, I found out you can do rice in the crockpot. SCORE! So this is an adaptation of the Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto. Because I didn't have the right rice or the right cheese...or the sun-dried tomatoes....and my crockpot is bigger...

Broccoli-Mushroom Rice
8 quart Crockpot
1 cup olive oil
3 cups brown rice
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1 cup water
7 cups chicken broth
2 heads of Broccoli, chopped

Pour in oil and rice, swirl together so the rice is well coated. Add the mushroom soup and water, mix together. Add the chicken broth and broccoli. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours (personally mine took 4 hours, brown rice is like that and there's more of it)

So there you have it! Since it was so much more, I decided to serve different entree's with it. For the Italian themed dinner, I had chicken marinated in an Italian blend of spices, oil and vinegar and then I added cheese to the rice. For the Asian flair, I stir-fried a variety of veggies in oil, garlic and ginger; then in another pan I did beef marinated in equal parts sweet-chili sauce and soy sauce. Super yummy both times and I bet you can do even more!

Mushroom-Brie Soup ala Me

So its snowing like crazy outside, and after shoveling, having a snow fight, playing snow-baseball, building a snowman... I thought it was time for some soup! Back home, a deli near my parents had this Mushroom Brie cream soup. It was AMAZING. So I made one up after looking over a few other versions. This is a random compilation all my own! Yay!

1 1/2 c. dry sherry
6 c. chicken stock
2 T butter
1/3 c. diced ham
4 strips turkey bacon, diced
10 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 T cornstarch
12 oz Brie cheese - rind removed, room temperature
1/3 c. white onion (shallots would probably taste better but i didn't have any on hand)
12 oz Brie cheese, trimmed and cubed
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp pepper

Boil sherry to reduce by half; set aside. In large saucepan melt butter, stir in mushrooms, shallots, ham and bacon. Cook over medium high heat, 4 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in cornstarch, add stock and sherry. Bring to boil then simmer 15 mintues. Add brie, stir to melt. Add 1/2 and 1/2 and pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and either serve as is (which is what I did because the peoples were hungry) OR puree in batches (OR try an immersion blender) and serve it creamy.

 The Verdict: Tasty goodness, the masses enjoyed it :)I think it would work great minus the meat too, but it was the whole dinner so i needed some protein in there.