Description
Midwestern comfort meets culinary delight in this hearty chicken wild rice casserole. Creamy, savory layers blend perfectly with tender chicken and nutty wild rice. Comfort calls you to savor each comforting spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken breasts
- 1.5 cups wild rice blend
- 10 oz portabella mushrooms (halved and thinly sliced)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsps unsalted butter
- 2 tbsps melted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 small onion (finely diced)
- 1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook wild rice in boiling water for 5 minutes less than package instructions, ensuring grains remain slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, preparing a greased casserole dish for the upcoming mixture.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, sautéing celery and onions until they become translucent and tender, approximately 4 minutes.
- Raise skillet temperature to medium-high, adding mushrooms and cooking until they release moisture and soften, about 3 minutes.
- Dust vegetables with flour, creating a light coating to help thicken the sauce. Gradually incorporate chicken stock and milk, stirring consistently until the mixture becomes smooth and bubbles, roughly 5 minutes.
- Fold chopped chicken and shredded cheeses into the creamy sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat after thoroughly combining ingredients.
- Integrate cooked wild rice into the chicken mixture, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Transfer the complete mixture to the prepared casserole dish, creating an even layer.
- Mix panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, drizzling with melted butter to create a cohesive topping. Sprinkle evenly across the casserole surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the top turns golden brown and the interior becomes bubbly and heated through.
Notes
- Slightly undercook the wild rice to maintain a delightful chewy texture, preventing mushiness during the final baking process.
- Allow mushrooms to release excess liquid completely to prevent a watery casserole, ensuring a rich and creamy consistency.
- Experiment with different cheese combinations like gruyère or smoked gouda to create unique flavor profiles and add depth to the dish.
- Substitute chicken with plant-based protein like tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian version, and use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs for a celiac-friendly alternative.
- Prep Time: 17 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 354 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 370 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg