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Home » Dairy Free » Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice.

Feb 17, 2014 · Modified: Feb 5, 2018 by Kelly Roenicke · 92 Comments

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EASY and COMFORTING slow cooker cheesy broccoli chicken rice.

An easy recipe for cheesy broccoli chicken rice made in the slow cooker. Family friendly comfort food that’s sure to please!

Cheesy broccoli chicken rice

Who’s in the mood for some comfort food?

This cold weather had me wanting something cheesy and comforting, and I didn’t want to exert any effort. Don’t you love it when you can make a tasty dish that’s allergy friendly, simple, and it requires very little effort? This is that kind of dish.

Chicken with broccoli is always a favorite combination, and with the addition of cheese, this is just perfect. This cheesy broccoli chicken rice is so easy, and very comforting. It’s filling, tasty, creamy, and cheesy. Be sure to add the broccoli at the very end so that it retains its nutrients and doesn’t turn to mush.

This is a recipe that the whole family will love! And it’s naturally gluten free, and easily made dairy free with the addition of dairy free cheese.

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Recipe

Cheesy broccoli chicken rice made easy in the slow cooker!
4.5 from 10 votes
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice.

A classic comfort food, cheesy broccoli chicken rice, made gluten free and dairy free.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine gluten free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 272 kcal
Author Kelly Roenicke

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts cut into large chunks
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup uncooked long grain rice white or brown, your choice
  • 32 ounces chicken broth
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • â…“ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups broccoli chopped
  • 1 ¼ cup Daiya dairy free cheddar cheese use regular cheese if you are not dairy free

Instructions

  1. Put the olive oil, chopped onion, and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. Add the chicken breast pieces, salt, pepper, and rice.
  3. Pour â…” of the container of broth on top. Stir.
  4. Put lid on the slow cooker and turn it on high. Cook for four hours on high.
  5. After two hours, check to make sure there is still enough liquid inside. If not, add some more warmed up broth.
  6. A half an hour before it is done, add the chopped broccoli and stir. Add more warm broth if needed.
  7. Cook for another half an hour until broccoli is bright green and tender.
  8. Add the Daiya cheese and stir until melted. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice.
Amount per Serving
Calories
272
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Cholesterol
 
54
mg
18
%
Sodium
 
1074
mg
47
%
Potassium
 
526
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
 
26
g
9
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
21
g
42
%
Vitamin A
 
165
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
30.6
mg
37
%
Calcium
 
44
mg
4
%
Iron
 
1.2
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This cheesy broccoli chicken rice is perfect comfort food for those days when you just don’t feel like cooking, or don’t have the time.

Sweet potato crockpot soup
My other favorite sweet potato recipe: this slow cooker sweet potato wild rice soup.

Since I cooked this on high, I did keep an eye on the liquid level in the pot.

At about two and a half or three hours in, I added some more broth. You should not add cold liquids to a hot crockpot, so you do need to microwave or warm up the broth on the stove before you add it to the crockpot.

I’ve been really happy with my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker – it’s lasted very well for the past three years. As with any appliance, temperatures and cooking times may vary based on model, so my best advice is to keep an eye on the crockpot, add liquid as needed, and try not to overcook this dish.

If you choose to use a different rice – short grain, wild, etc., your cooking time will also vary, so keep that in mind. I used long grain white rice and it worked out well – it cooked up nicely but did not turn to mush.

Easy cheesy broccoli chicken rice recipe, dairy free and gluten free.

This slow cooker cheesy broccoli chicken rice is:

  • perfect for serving a crowd
  • a great recipe for winter
  • creamy and cheesy, even thought it’s dairy free

comforting cheesy chicken broccoli rice gluten free and dairy free

What’s your favorite slow cooker dish? I’d love to try some new recipes!

 

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Filed Under: Dairy Free, food, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Nut Free, Recipes Tagged With: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Gluten Free, Mustard Free, Nightshade Free, Peanut Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Sugar Free, top 8 allergy free recipe, Tree Nut Free

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelly Roenicke
Kelly Roenicke
Mom to two boys with food allergies and sensitivities, Kelly is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking. She believes that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.
Kelly Roenicke
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caryn

    December 30, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    We’ve made this twice now exactly as written (with brown rice and white rice). It came out perfectly each time and even my 3 year old gobbled it up. It is one of my husband’s favorites too!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      December 31, 2014 at 11:02 am

      Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Caryn! :)

      Reply
  2. Noelle

    November 18, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    Currently at 2 hours cooking and it looks like soup, should there be less liquid, the rice is still hard…..just want to make sure I didn’t add too much liquid. I added extra at the beginning of 4 hours because I put in 2 lbs of chicken and 1.5 cups rice

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 20, 2014 at 9:03 pm

      It definitely takes at least 4 hours…how did it turn out for you?

      Reply
      • Shauna

        December 05, 2014 at 1:55 pm

        I’m goIng to make risotto on its own then add the chicken i n broccoli on top after, I coulD cook on low for 8 then. Correct?

        Reply
        • Kelly

          December 07, 2014 at 8:41 pm

          Yes, that should be okay, but I would still check the liquid level!

          Reply
  3. Danielle

    November 10, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    This was delicious! Mine was definitely mush, though. My husband and I said we were eating what appeared to be jail-house food! But we both have to agree, we don’t think it tastes like jail-house food. It was so good! Comfort food, for sure. Thanks for the recipe :-)

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 12, 2014 at 8:18 pm

      Heehee, the jailhouse food remark made me giggle. So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  4. graphitequill

    November 03, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    Major OM NOMS!! This was ridiculously easy to make, and even worked well with a 1/2 thawed vidalia onion and mild white cheddar (I dumped the whole 1.5 cup bag in). Add a little herbamare on top of your bowl and you are set! New fav!! Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 03, 2014 at 11:46 pm

      Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  5. Catherine

    October 04, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    Just started mine in the crock pot ( i have a jumbo sized crock, and tend to feed lots of people so i doubled it) I’m using a long grain wild rice, and I dont have any chicken breasts but am subbing boneless skinless chicken thighs, and we’re not dairy free but Im only adding half the cheese, I’ll let you know how it turns out!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      October 06, 2014 at 4:05 pm

      I hope it turned out for you!

      Reply
  6. Laney

    July 27, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    I followed the directions as written, but the rice still isn’t fully cooked. Any tips?

    Reply
  7. Hillary B

    July 21, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    If I add more rice do you think I would have to double the other ingredients as well?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      July 23, 2014 at 11:33 pm

      Yes, you would for sure need to double the liquid and whatever else you would want more of. But it already makes A LOT of rice, so I’m not sure if you double it that it will all fit in a crock pot…

      Reply
  8. Brea

    June 07, 2014 at 11:42 am

    When do I add the rice and can it be uncooked rice in the crock pot ?

    Reply
  9. Lauren

    April 08, 2014 at 6:05 am

    Do you put the chicken in frozen or thawed?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      April 08, 2014 at 8:57 am

      Thanks for your question! Thawed chicken. It really isn’t safe to cook frozen meat in a slow cooker.

      Reply
  10. Ashley

    April 07, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    Do you put the rice in uncooked or cooked???

    Reply
    • Kelly

      April 08, 2014 at 8:56 am

      Uncooked! :)

      Reply
      • Jessica

        June 07, 2022 at 6:52 pm

        Can I use quick cooking rice? If so, should I wait to add at the end?

        Reply
  11. Anna

    March 22, 2014 at 9:10 am

    Can I use frozen broccoli?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      March 22, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Yes, you can use frozen broccoli. I would still add it toward the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t turn to mush.

      Reply
  12. Sarah H

    February 24, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    Definitely going to have to try this rice, Kelly! It looks so comforting for this time of year, and I love that it’s slow-cooked too!

    Reply
  13. Jill Stokes Hartley

    February 24, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I wanted to try to make this tonight… silly question though… should the chicken be cooked or uncooked when it goes in???

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 24, 2014 at 10:59 pm

      Uncooked chicken breasts…and I cut each one into a few pieces so it would cook evenly. Hope you like it! :)

      Reply
  14. Kathryn

    February 20, 2014 at 10:03 pm

    I wonder if I could cook it on low for 8 hours? I’m afraid I’d forget to watch it if I cook it on high, or if I had to go out. This sounds a lot like a chicken divan recipe my mom made – minus the rice. I think it will be good for a change with the rice. I’ll put it on my next menu. :)

    Reply
    • Kelly @ The Pretty Bee: Cooking + Creating

      February 22, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      I think you could cook it on low, but I don’t know if it would take the full 8 hours or not. Just check the liquid level to make sure it doesn’t dry out. That’s my only worry when you do a crock pot recipe that has a lot of rice in it. I hope you guys like it! :)

      Reply
  15. jennifurla

    February 19, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    that looks so easy and so good

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 20, 2014 at 10:40 am

      Thank you! That’s what I was going for…I had zero energy that day! :)

      Reply
  16. kristiannaspringer@gmail.com

    February 19, 2014 at 11:50 am

    If I can’t get the daiya cheese what can I use in place of it?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 20, 2014 at 10:43 am

      If you can eat dairy, just use regular cheddar cheese. If you can’t have dairy, you could leave it out, or try another dairy free cheese. I am not sure how that would work, though, the great thing about the Daiya brand is that it melts like dairy cheese does.

      Reply
  17. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely

    February 18, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    Broccoli and cheese go so well together! This soup sounds so warm and comforting. Beautiful pictures Kelly! I love that blue bowl : )

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 20, 2014 at 10:50 am

      Thanks, Natalie! It was definitely a comforting meal!

      Reply
  18. Kim @ 2justByou

    February 18, 2014 at 11:49 am

    YUM. My kids will love this cheesy yumminess! Thanks for the recipe, Kelly!

    Reply
  19. Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes

    February 17, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    Ah yes, this looks so good! Love the classic broccoli and cheese combo and how you slow cooked it all. Delicious Kelly!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 18, 2014 at 10:23 am

      Thank you so much! :)

      Reply
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EASY and COMFORTING slow cooker cheesy broccoli chicken rice.
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Hi! I’m Kelly, and I believe that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.

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