CREAM OF CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Cook rice in 2 cups of chicken broth. Set aside for later. (I used some rice in my refrigerator that I had cooked the night before. It was horrible and underdone, but it was perfect in the soup!)
• 2. Cook chicken breast in medium temperature skillet. I added a little chicken broth and covered to keep it from burning. Then I shredded the chicken and set aside for later. I saved the chicken pan drippings and excess broth and dumped in at the next step.
• 3. Melt butter in large pot. Whisk in flour to make a thickening rue. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Add a few shakes of salt, pepper, and onion powder. (Pour in pan drippings here or later with broth, if desired. I think the browned chicken juices and broth gave the soup a deeper flavor.) Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens nicely. Keep stirring occasionally, careful not to burn the flour. Once it's thickened, whisk in 4 remaining cups of chicken broth. Stir occasionally and let it come to a low boil to thicken the mixture again.
• 4. Stir in carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until carrots are tender about 10 minutes. Add in cooked chicken and rice and stir to heat through. It made at least 4 good sized bowls. The thickness was just right for dinner that night but the rice soaked up moisture quickly. I had to add a splash of milk when I just microwaved it for lunch the next day. I ate it with saltines and it was delicious! Enjoy and let me know if anything is unclear!