Chicken and Rice Soup

I love the chicken & rice soup at Panera and this is the closest recipe I've found to it. This can be made on the stove but I make it in the crock pot. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do-- it's fabulous to come home to after a long cold day!

Ingredients:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chicken (cooked & shredded)
- 1 box quick cooking long grain wild rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups milk

Directions:
- In crock pot set on low-- combine broth, water, chicken and rice. (SAVE the seasoning packet.)
- On stove top in a large pan-- melt butter.
- Stir in seasoning packet.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Add flour, salt, pepper-- mix well. (This appears to make a clumpy mess-- if so, you have done it correctly. This will thicken your soup!)
- CAREFULLY whisk in milk- 1/2 cup at a time until smooth. Cook about 5 minutes.
- Poor cream sauce into crock pot.
- Stir occasionally-- ready to eat in a 3 to 4 hours.

Notes from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Whisking milk with flour mixture can make a huge mess-- believe me when I say large pan and CAREFULLY!! (Especially you, Rachel!)
- I often use off brand wild rice and canned chicken instead of cooking my own.
- I LOVE to add fresh mushrooms-- just slice them and throw them in the crock pot at the beginning.
- This recipe is easy to double but will fill a crock pot very full.