Chicken with Wild Rice Casserole Recipe is a classic. And everybody gets a kick out of this casserole. I’ve posted a version made with apples, and one made with pecans. For the holidays, though there’s nothing wrong with those, I like to change things up. So we made this great recipe with our own homemade cheese sauce. This recipe takes some time to make but is worth it in the end, my whole family absolutely loved it!
Creamy Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole
Active Time
35 Mins
Total Time
1 Hour 10 Mins
Yield
Serves 8 (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)
The creamy, earthy mushroom mixture pairs perfectly with the incredibly aromatic wild rice, which also has enough firmness to prevent the grains from bloating or disintegrating in the casserole. 45 minutes of 45 cups of rice in 6 cups of water, drained. You can also use a package of Engine 2 frozen cooked wild rice, which weighs 13 ounces and is available at Whole Foods. While the chicken bakes to perfection, prepare the mushroom mixture on the stove (use the same casserole dishes to avoid extra clean up). Serve with a salad of mixed greens or plain sautéed green beans.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
- 1 1/2 cups sliced leeks
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 2 (8-oz.) pkg. presliced cremini mushrooms
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 ounce 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups hot cooked wild rice
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Nutritional Information
- Calories 335
- Fat 10.9g
- Satfat 3.5g
- Monofat 4.6g
- Polyfat 1.7g
- Protein 29g
- Carbohydrate 32g
- Fiber 4g
- Cholesterol 62mg
- Iron 2mg
- Sodium 633mg
- Calcium 240mg
- Sugars 2g
- Est. added sugars 0g
How to Make It
Step 1
Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
In a big skillet, heat the oil on medium-high. 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper should be added to the chicken. Cook the chicken in the pan for three minutes on each side. Divide the chicken between two 8-inch square baking trays that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, or until finished, at 350°F. Shave and cool.
Step 3
Then raise the heat to medium-high. In a bowl, mix together the flour and 1/2 cup milk. Add leeks and the remaining ingredients to the pan; simmer for 13 minutes, or until the leeks are browned and soft. Add remaining 4 1/2 cups of milk, the flour mixture, and the parsley; simmer for 3 minutes. Cream cheese should be thoroughly mixed in before cooking for two minutes, or until it begins to slightly thicken. In a bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, rice, chicken, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and green onions. Spray cooking spray on baking pans. Place chicken mixture in each dish, then sprinkle almonds on top. Follow the instructions for freezing, or bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. How to Freeze: Completely cool the mixture. Use sturdy foil or airtight lids to cover. thaw for up to two months. THAW: Remove the cover and thaw for 15 minutes in the microwave at MEDIUM (50% power). REHEAT: Cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, or until thoroughly heated.
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
There are only a few DAYS left till the full kitchen reveal! We still need to hang some things on the walls, finish the backsplash, and arrange my kitchen supplies (story of my life). Maybe.
Okay, but I wanted to make sure you knew how wonderful it is to eat chicken wild rice soup in a casserole, especially when it’s topped with toasty bread cubes that are buttery golden brown.
Making a chicken wild rice casserole seems almost unfair because I could happily consume chicken wild rice soup for the rest of my life. The crockpot chicken wild rice soup is a once-a-month staple in my life; I don’t have many recipes that I prepare more than a few times. My intention with this dish was primarily to provide my hungry self with a recipe that could be a real food + comfort food casserole kind thing that would give us all the warm feels of soup without really being soup (hello, NOT POSSIBLE). The Chicken Wild Rice Casserole entered my life because I sort of adore casseroles in that very predictable Minnesota winter manner, but I also want to attempt to update them for 2014.
There aren’t any cans of anything here; instead, there are a ton of actual, healthy ingredients (well, FINE, there’s a little butter, too), which makes the dish feel grown-up, clever, and all that, plus it tastes like a bite of Minnesota. Comfort food plus real food.
Basically, this Sloppy Wild Rice Deliciousness is just a big pile of wild rice cooked in broth with carrots, onions, and celery, baked with chicken and your homemade creamy sauce because you’re awesome, and topped with the cutest little butter-soaked bread cubes for aesthetics (rawr) and a delicate crunch.
It resembles the combination of soup with buttered bread, casserole, and Minnesota.
Ugh. When those four things come together in my environment, I just feel so joyful.
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Take a walk on the wild rice side!
The term “wild rice” is a little deceptive. It’s not even remotely rice. It has an entirely different taste and texture and comes from a completely different plant. The texture is chewy on the surface, tender on the inside, and has a flavor that is decidedly not found in plain old white rice.
Additionally, wild rice is far more nutrient-dense than conventional rice. In addition to having a significant increase in protein and fiber, it also contains a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Yes, it costs a lot more than white rice, but it’s well worth it.
I’ve shared many dishes using plain rice on this site, but I’ve never used wild rice. So I decided it was about time I finally went on a wild adventure. With cooked chicken, vegetables, a rich, creamy sauce, and a little parmesan cheese on top to give it a beautiful coating, my new Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole blends wild rice (or a wild rice blend, which is a little less expensive) with the other ingredients.
It smells wonderful and looks golden brown when it comes out of the oven. You will never have a truly gourmet experience with “tame” rice.
CHICKEN WILD RICE CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded or diced
4 cups of cooked 5 grain medley rice (or any wild rice you have available)
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 celery stalks, chopped
½ onion, diced
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup chicken stock
1 tsp garlic, minced
¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
as desired salt and pepper (I suggest 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a fry pan, sauté celery, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, soup, sour cream, water or stock, and sautéed celery and onion. Mix well. Add the rice, a cup at a time to make sure it incorporates well.
3. Pour into a 9 x 11 greased baking dish. Smooth out the top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for approximately 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.