Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole

Sometimes we get so busy that we just don’t have time to whip up a ton of things for dinner. When that happens I have a few recipes that I turn to – to help me out a bit. This recipe is one of them.

Rolling the clock back a bit and letting you know that this is a recipe that my Grandmother made quite a lot in her house, as well as most of her recipes. I am so pleased to get to share her recipes with you all as well. It really is nostalgic for me to whip up some of her recipes from time to time.

This dish is so easy and not much to prep. I do have to say that the only thing you need to prep is the rice and chicken. You can do this the day before or right before you are going to make it. I just throw the rice in my instant pot for about 20 minutes and chunk the chicken in a pot with water or in the oven and cook it until it is cooked through. Let them both cook and either shred or cube the chicken and you’re good to go to make the casserole.

It is so easy and delicious ( I think I say that about all of my recipes). Anyway, let’s get into making this casserole.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Onion- diced
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper – to taste
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half ( or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream)
4 cups cooked chicken – shredded or cubed
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp parsley ( I use fresh- if you use dried use 1 tsp or so)
1/3 cup nuts ( I use slivered almonds but use what you have. Just chop them slightly)
4 cups cooked wild rice ( I do one cup uncooked wild rice)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make sure that your rice and chicken are precooked before starting. Go ahead and chop up the chicken or shred it. Set both aside. Pre heat your oven to 350*.
2. In a large oven safe skillet over medium heat, add the butter, and onion and cook until tender. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Not to much because you can always add more to taste.
3. Add the garlic powder, parsley, and onion powder and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute to bloom the spices.
4. Add the flour and stir together and cook for about 1 minute to cook out the flour taste. Slowly add in the chicken broth and stir until thickened. Add in the half and half and stir until well combined and thickened.
5. Add the Rice and stir to incorporate. Add in the chicken and stir to mix well. Add in the mushrooms and again, stir to mix well. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and place into the oven. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. Take it out and sprinkle over the nuts and place back in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the nuts are slightly golden. Remove and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

• If you do not have an oven safe skillet just transfer everything to a large baking dish an follow step 6. I use a cast iron pan so I just go from stove top to oven.
• It is not the prettiest of dishes but it sure does taste good.
• If you do not like wild rice, use whatever type of rice you like. White, brown, black, wild rice, mixture, or even quinoa. Just make sure it equals about 4 cups of what ever you choose.
• If you do not like a certain type of nut like walnuts or pecans, use slivered almonds, or sprinkle on some sunflower seeds. The recipe does not specify which to use so, use what you like or leave them off. It is up to you and your liking.
• If you think the mixture is to thick, you can certainly add in more broth or half and half to thin it out to your liking. I always end up adding a bit more because the flour to butter ratio always changes every time I make it. Funny how that works. Those pesky cups…. lol
• If you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out. I know quite a lot of people who do not like them. It is just fine and it will taste good either way.
• You can use turkey breast instead of chicken if you prefer. Make sure to shred or chop it up before adding it to the mix.
• I add the rice, chicken, and mushrooms in batches because it is easier for me to mix it up with out making a huge mess on my stove top. lol