Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole Recipe
This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is loaded with shredded chicken, wild rice, and veggies in a rich and flavorful homemade cream sauce. Topped with cheese and baked to gooey, melted perfection, it’s a classic family casserole that’s super easy to make and loved by the whole family!
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth divided
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 4 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream or milk or half-and-half
- 1 cup sour cream optional
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded and divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken approximately 2 large or 3 medium-sized chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the wild rice blend plus 2 cups of the chicken broth to a medium pot set over medium-high heat. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let the rice gently simmer for 25 minutes, then remove from heat and let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer should any liquid remain. Set aside.
- In the meantime, melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet set over medium heat and cook the celery, carrot, and onion until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Note: If you don't own an oven-safe skillet, that's ok. Prepare as outlined and transfer to an oven-safe baking dish before topping with cheese and baking.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper and cook until the mushrooms have softened slightly, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, then slowly whisk in the remaining cup of chicken broth, heavy cream, and sour cream. Whisk continuously until combined and it starts to thicken about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in one cup of the cheddar cheese and all the parmesan until melted. Then stir in the cooked and shredded chicken and cooked rice.
- Tent with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully stir then return to the oven to bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of cheese and bake until melted about 10 minutes.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 758kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 906mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4508IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 563mg | Iron: 2mg
