2poundsboneless and skinless chicken breasts4 medium breasts, or chicken tenderloins
8ouncescream cheesecut into cubes
26ouncescream of chicken soupundiluted
1⅔cupshalf and half
1¼cupslong grain white rice
2ouncesdry ranch dressing mixtwo 1-ounce packets
1teaspoonfresh cracked black pepper
1poundsmoked baconcooked, crumbled (divided into 1 cup and ½ cup)
1½cupsColby-Jack shredded cheese
2cupsshredded mild cheddar cheese
3tablespoonsthinly sliced green onionsoptional garnish
Instructions
Generously spray a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.
Lay the chicken breast in the bottom of the prepared slow cooker.
Top the chicken breast with the cubed cream cheese.
Add the cream of chicken soup, half and half, rice, ranch dressing mix, black pepper, 1 cup of bacon, and 1 ½ cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to completely combine.
Spread the soup mixture over the chicken breast and cream cheese. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Once the dish has reached the end of the cooking cycle, remove the chicken breast. Using either tongs or 2 forks, shred the cooked chicken breast. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Stir to incorporate the shredded chicken breast into the soup and rice mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken and rice. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of crumbled bacon on top of the cheese. Replace the lid and allow the cheese to melt, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the thinly sliced green onions and serve.
Notes
We’d recommend grating your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese tends to be coated with a preservative that prevents it from melting well. I always rinse my rice before cooking. It helps to remove any excess starch. You can leave the chicken in the slow cooker when shredding, but removing the chicken breasts helps ensure that the pieces of shredded chicken are somewhat uniform in size.