Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole with tender, flavorful chicken nestled in a bed of wild rice and mushrooms. If you’re longing for a memorable dish that’s filling, uniquely flavored and delicious, look no further! This Chicken Wild Rice Casserole is absolutely terrific and perfectly satisfying. The casserole has a nice nutty bite from the wild rice and a deep rich flavor from the mushrooms, wine and broth. If you love wild rice and comfort food, this casserole is for you!

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

Tender, flavorful chicken nestled in a bed of wild rice and mushrooms.

Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Course: Dinner, Main Dish Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings Calories: 727kcal

Ingredients

9 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
10 ounces mushrooms tough stems removed, sliced
1 ½ cups wild rice blend
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (16 ounces)
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup whole milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on one side, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a plate and cover, browned side up; set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons butter to the now empty skillet along with the onions and celery. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are crisp tender. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms are well browned on one side. Stir and turn the mushrooms and continue cooking until the moisture is released and evaporated, and the mushrooms are well browned.
Add the vegetables back to the skillet with the mushrooms along with the dry wild rice blend. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the chicken broth and white wine to the skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (NOTE - you may want add 10 minutes if using a different kind of rice blend that requires longer cooking - check the cooking directions for your variety. The rice should still be a little soupy and starting to soften)
While the rice is cooking, make the white sauce. In a small saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, onion powder and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk, slowly, whisking to combine. Cook until the sauce is thickened.
Once done, remove the rice from the heat. Pour the white sauce over the top of the rice and stir lightly to combine. Place the chicken in the skillet on top of the rice and push down lightly leaving the tops uncovered. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken registers 160°F (for breasts) on an instant read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

Substitute chicken tenders or thighs if desired, or use skinless bone-in pieces. Bake the chicken until cooked through or 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer for breasts.
You can also cut the chicken into smaller pieces or chunks and stir into the rice before baking. Substitute fully cooked rotisserie chicken cut into bite sized pieces if desired.
Substitute more chicken broth for the wine if desired.
In place of the white sauce use 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup combined with a little wine, broth or milk to thin, if desired.
I use an inexpensive Chardonnay for this recipe.
If you feel the rice is still too chewy after 20 minutes on the stove-top, continue cooking another 5 to 10 minutes. The rice will continue to cook in the oven.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.