Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
1 c uncooked wild rice
1 lb chicken breasts
1 c onion, chopped
3/4 c celery, chopped
3/4 c carrots, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
Bay leaves
6 c chicken broth
2 c water
2 Tb poultry seasoning
3 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 c flour
2 c milk
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse rice and place rice, chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth, water, and poultry seasoning in a slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.  In last 1/2 hour of cooking, remove chicken and shred with forks.
3. When rice is done cooking, add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
4. Melt the butter and oil in a saucepan and add the flour; let the mixture cook for 1 minute.
5. Stir mixture while adding milk, stirring until thick and creamy.
6. Add creamy mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.


** This soup was similar to St. Louis Bread Co's cream of chicken and wild rice soup, only better-more fresh and a better texture.  Perfect for a cold day, only suggestion would be to not thicken it too much, because it gets thicker as it sits. **