By Ellen Cawood

Kitchen Corner

This past week was so crazy for me. My schedule just didn’t permit me to spend tons of time in the kitchen. I know that so many people are like that and at the same time are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One thing that prevents me from running through McDonald’s every day, is having a go to crockpot meal in the fridge that I can cook one day and eat on throughout the week. The weather is supposed to be chilly this week, so I thought that I might share a healthy comfort dish with you all that your whole family will enjoy.

Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients: 1 cup long-grain brown rice, 1 ½ cups diced carrots, 1 small shallot, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup frozen peas, ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, ½ shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped parsley

Instructions: Begin by chopping and dicing your vegetables. Spray a 5 quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the rice, carrots, shallot, and Dijon mustard, and stir to combine. Arrange the chicken breasts on top, and sprinkle with the garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ hours until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and set to the side. Stir the rice, vegetables and broth, then recover and continue cooking on high until the rice is tender for one additional hour. Uncover and stir in the peas and Greek yogurt. Add the chicken back to the crock pot and shred with a fork, and add ¼ cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix to combine all ingredients. Add remaining cheddar cheese on top. Place crockpot on warm and allow cheese to melt. Serve warm and garnish with fresh parsley on top! I hope you all have a great week and enjoy this simple dish!