This creamy chicken casserole is loaded with tasty Portobello mushrooms, wild rice, and a cheesy homemade cream sauce. It's a great one-dish dinner bake and so easy to throw together. If you're looking for a comforting, hearty meal your family will love or a delicious casserole to bring to a potluck dinner party, this chicken wild rice casserole fits the bill nicely.
If you're looking for a comforting, hearty meal your family will love or a delicious casserole to bring to a potluck dinner party, this chicken wild rice casserole fits the bill nicely. The chicken, wild rice, mushroom, and gooey cheese combo are just plain irresistible. Don't forget to check more casseroles ideas recipes.
Contents
🐓 Chicken Mushroom Casserole
I'm a huge casserole fan. I don't know if it's cause I grew up eating them in thanksgiving dinners and family gatherings or cause it's a one-pot meal that requires little effort.
This satisfying chicken and wild rice recipe is one helluva delicious rice casserole that will have everyone asking for seconds. The uniquely savory mushroom with toasty, nutty wild rice and flavorful chicken, topped with cheese and butter, is the epitome of comfort food.
What's more, it comes together in just an hour, prep time included. Check my collection of comforting chicken casserole recipes for more ideas.
The recipe uses a wild rice blend, and before you get any ideas, wild rice is not rice at all. It kinda looks like rice, but nowhere close in taste or texture. But when it comes to nutrition value, it's higher in protein, fiber, and other nutrients than brown rice, white rice, and other grains, making it nutritionally healthier.
Learn more about how to cook the perfect jasmine rice and brown rice recipe to make rice salad recipes.
🍽 What you need
Chicken wild rice casserole is effortlessly easy to prepare in a single pot. Although the list of ingredients may seem long, most of them are probably hiding in your pantry, and the star ingredient here is the Portobello mushrooms that give the casserole it's earthy flavor.
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Small bowl
- Medium pot
- Large non-stick skillet
- Spatula
- Chopping board
- Knife
Ingredients
- Wild rice blend( wild and white rice) - 1 ½ cup
- Butter - 4 tablespoon.
- Celery - 1 stalk, finely chopped
- Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
- Portabella mushrooms - 10 oz.( 300g), halved then thinly sliced
- All-purpose flour - ¼ cup
- Chicken stock - 1 cup
- Milk -1 cup
- Chicken breasts- cooked and chopped
- Cheddar cheese - 1 cup, shredded
- Salt and pepper - season generously
- Panko bread crumbs -¾ cup
- Parmesan cheese - ½ cup, finely shredded
- Butter - 2 tablespoon., melted
Substitutions
As mentioned above, casserole recipes are a forgiving lot. You can play around with the ingredients to complement your taste.
Chicken
Speed up the prep time by using a rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken from yesterdays dinner.
Milk
For a smooth, creamy sauce casserole, milk is essential. However, you can switch it with sour cream, or condensed cream chicken soup for a creamier consistency.
Cheese
Don't have parmesan? Try grana padano or pecorino romano. Provolone and dry Jack are also suitable replacements. If you have neither on hand, just use whatever you have, even mozzarella cheese. But just keep in mind your dish will taste different.
Play with the veggies
Besides having an impressive nutrient profile, veggies add color to meals. Add more if you like. Sometimes I throw peas, carrot, broccoli, and even frozen veggies into the mix.
Mushrooms
Feel free to use any type of mushroom you want. I prefer portabella cause they work particularly well in baking.
Chicken stock
If you already have low sodium chicken broth, use it instead.
Seasoning
Don't limit yourself to only salt and pepper. Spice up your chicken wild rice casserole with your favorite seasoning. Turn up the heat with chili or cayenne powder and the essential garlic powder and onion powder. Throw in some bay leaves, rosemary, or parsley. Also, don't underestimate the magic of sauce. Mustard, soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce can add a nice kick of flavor to your dish.
🔪 How to make
Chicken wild rice casserole is super easy to prepare and takes just 1 hour to cook in the oven. Learn how to make this delicious recipe with my step-by-step instructions.
It's a matter of cooking the rice, baking the chicken and mushrooms, before slowly combining the rest of the ingredients in a pot with the creamy sauce and cheese, and lastly baking the casserole in a hot oven with a breaded crust.
Preparations
Step 1
Thoroughly wash the mushrooms under cold running water and chop them in half.
Step 2
Finely dice the onion and celery on the chopping board and then cut the chicken into cubes.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start by preparing wild rice in a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and stir in the rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes less than what's recommended in the package. So if the package recommends 45 minutes, cook for 40 minutes. You need the cooked rice to have that chewy-tender texture at the end and not a mushy consistency. Be sure to include the seasoning packet contents to infuse flavor into your rice mix.
Step 2
While the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit (175° degrees Celsius).
Step 3
In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat and saute onion and the celery stalks and . Ensure the celery and onions are nicely coated in the butter. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
Step 4
Crank the heat to medium-high, then add the mushrooms. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the mushrooms release their juices and turn golden brown.
Step 5
Sift the flour over the mushrooms and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and milk. Cook, constantly stirring, until it starts to thicken and bubble. You should have a warm, thick creamy mushroom soup. This should roughly take 5 minutes.
Step 6
Stir in your baked chicken breasts and cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper, then remove the mixture from heat and set aside.
Step 7
When the wild rice is cooked, drain it well, then stir into the chicken mixture. Make sure the rice is well incorporated with the mixture.
Step 8
Grease your casserole or baking dish and spread the rice mixture over the dish.
Step 9
In a small bowl, add breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Give it a good mix, then sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Step 10
Bake for about 35- 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve and enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- When baking is involved, I usually use skinless chicken breasts. These chicken pieces are incredibly versatile, and they can take on whatever flavor you throw at them. Amazing, right? Besides, chicken breast is a healthier option.
- Remember to season the chicken breast generously before cooking. This will enhance the flavor of your final dish. I usually season my breasts with smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and garlic powder. But don't limit yourself, though.
- For the wild rice blend, I usually use Uncle Ben's wild rice packet.
📖 Recipe Variations
Chicken wild rice casserole is a family favorite recipe and is requested regularly, and sometimes I switch up the recipe with a few tasty ingredients like these 3 variations:
Chicken wild rice casserole with almonds
The taste of toasted almonds in this casserole give it a sweet nutty flavor that combines well with the earthy mushrooms. Add half a cup into the mixture before baking the casserole.
Chicken wild rice casserole with cream of celery soup
This variation adds a more intense celery flavor and gives the casserole a creamier texture. You can still add celery stalk as instructed and combine the celery soup with the chicken broth.
Chicken broccoli rice casserole
Give the casserole a health kick with broccoli florets. Broccoli is full of fibre and healthy nutrients and works wonders in most casserole recipes. Use 1 medium-sized broccoli and throw them into the mixture with the mushrooms.
🥗 What to serve with
This chicken wild rice casserole is delicious on its own, but you can try serving it alongside a side dish to kick it up a notch. As I always say, you can pair your meals with whatever you like - there are no limitations.
These are some of my personal favorites:
Greek salad
This classic Greek salad is an epitome of an easy side dish. Its strong notes of garlic, cheese, and vinegar will take your taste buds to another level.
Garlic roasted asparagus
This pairs oh-so-delightfully with chicken wild rice casserole. The addition of garlic slices makes this comb irresistible. You can also top this meal with some delicious homemade crispy onions.
Lemon-sesame green beans
Green beans drizzled with lemon juice and sesame oil will add a nice zesty lemony flavor to your dish, making it a fantastic side.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put raw chicken in a casserole?
Yes, It's safe to add raw chicken to the casserole without pre cooking it, as all of the bacteria dies once the internal temperature reaches 160° degrees Fahrenheit. Although, adding raw chicken will take longer to cook. Add an extra 15-20 minutes cooking time in the oven.
How long does it take to cook uncooked rice in a casserole?
If you don't want to add parboiled rice to the casserole, you can add uncooked wild rice to the mixture. Although, bear in mind the consistency will be more like thick wild rice soup and will need a lot longer in the oven. Roughly 50 to 60 minutes for long grain white rice.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating
Chicken wild rice casserole is great for storing in the fridge or freezer and tastes even better the next day for reheating.
In the Fridge
Allow the leftover to cool completely and transfer it to an airtight container. It will last up to 3 days refrigerated.
In the Freezer
I recommend using freezer safe bags or an airtight container fir storing leftovers in the freezer. Frozen wild rice casserole will last up to 4 months.
How to Reheat
A simple way to reheat leftover casserole is to preheat an oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and place the contents into a baking dish for 20 minutes until piping hot or heat it in a stove pot.
Looking for leftover rice recipes inspiration? Check out my collection of the best leftover rice recipes for any day of the week.
🍳Related Rice Recipes
Check out these delicious comforting recipes including my Mediterranean rice salad.
👪 Serving Size
This chicken wild rice casserole recipe is always a guaranteed hit and it serves 6 people or scale up to cater for bigger crowds. I usually do when I have family over so that I have enough for the next few days.
There's simply no better way to make your potluck dinner or family reunion more festive and enjoyable than this one-pot wonder. I'm 100 percent sure you're going to enjoy this with all the different flavors combining to create a deliciously balanced meal.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup wild rice - blend
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 stalk celery - finely chopped
- 1 small onion - finely diced
- 10 ounces portabella mushrooms - halved then thinly sliced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups chicken breasts - cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese - finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Bring about 4 cups of water to boil in a medium pot, add the rice blend then cover, reduce heat and simmer until about 5 minutes below package recommended cook time.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Heat the butter in a large, nonstick skillet, then add the celery and onion and cook over medium low heat for about 3 - 5 minutes, until softened.
- Increase the heat to medium high, add the mushrooms and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to release their juices.
- Sift the flour over the mushrooms, stir to combine, then add the stock and milk and cook over medium high heat until thickened and bubbling (stirring constantly) - about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken and cheese, generously salt and pepper and remove from heat.
- When the rice is cooked, drain it well, then immediately stir into the chicken mixture.
- Grease a large casserole dish and transfer the chicken to the dish.
- Put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, add the parmesan - drizzle with melted butter and toss well, then sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Cook in the oven for about 35 - 40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
Notes
- member to season the chicken breast generously before cooking. This will enhance the flavor of your final dish. I usually season my breasts with smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and garlic powder. But don't limit yourself, though.
- For the wild rice blend, I usually use Uncle Ben's wild rice packet.
Christina
This was delicious, and I appreciate that it doesn't use a "cream of" soup! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Anonymous
Can you use regular bread crumbs instead of planko? I completely forgot to get them at the store:)
Anonymous
looks awesome