Another cold weather favorite, this is like the casserole version of chicken wild rice soup…and equally delicious!
Chicken wild rice casserole has it all: tender chunks of chicken, nutty wild rice, and crunchy water chestnuts in a beautifully seasoned light cream sauce. And it’s topped with sliced almonds that toast as the whole thing cooks in the oven – YUM!
Hubby and I just finished off a dish of it last night, savoring every last bite. I have to say, I’m kind of sad that it’s gone. It’s that good!
To make it, start with chopped cooked chicken. I recommend roasting a couple of chicken breasts earlier on the day you plan to make the casserole. You can always go with a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store if you’re short on time. But roasting it yourself ensures freshness and you get to adjust the seasonings the way you like it.
I usually roast my chicken breasts about an hour before I plan to start making the casserole. They take about 30 minutes to cook, so I start the casserole after I pull them from the oven. This allows them to rest and cool a bit while I get everything else ready.
Then it’s a matter of cooking the rice mix, sauteing the onion, making the sauce, and building the casserole. It’s not hard to do, it just takes a few steps.
Once the casserole is in the baking dish and topped with sliced almonds, pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes and that’s it.
Serve it with a green salad or some roasted vegetables (we like carrots and Brussels sprouts for flavor and color), or both!
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 6 oz. box quick-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix such as Ben's
- ½ cup butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 8-oz. can chopped water chestnuts, drained
- 1 4.5-oz. jar sliced mushrooms drained
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 2 ¼-oz. package sliced almonds
Instructions
- Prepare rice mix according to package directions and set aside.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Sprinkle the flour over the butter and onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute. Slowly add the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, for about five minutes or till thick and bubbly.
- Stir in the cooked chicken, rice, and next six ingredients. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 11×7-inch baking dish and top with the sliced almonds.
- Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and thoroughly heated.
Notes
- If you can’t find a quick cooking rice blend, a standard version is fine. It will just take longer to cook – about 20-25 minutes.
- For additional crunch, add 1/2 cup of chopped celery to sauté along with the onion.
- Using a whisk to incorporate the flour and the broth helps ensure no lumps!
- Be sure to allow the broth mixture to thicken so your sauce isn’t thin and runny.Â
- Leftovers refrigerate well, up to three days. The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so the casserole will tighten up after a day or so.