Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
A comforting chicken and wild rice casserole featuring cooked rice, diced chicken, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and almonds in a rich, creamy sauce made with chicken broth and half-and-half, baked until bubbly.
Equipment
- 1 Medium Pot For cooking rice
- 1 Large Skillet For making the sauce
- 1 9x13 inch Casserole Dish For baking
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula For stirring and combining
Ingredients
Main
- Two 6-ounce boxes long-grain and wild rice mix such as Uncle Ben's
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing dish
- 16 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced, or two 4 1/2-ounce cans sliced mushrooms, drained (reserve the liquid)
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast halves, diced
- 1 cup toasted slivered almonds coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced pimientos
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the long-grain and wild rice mixes according to the package directions. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch casserole dish.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and onions and saute until the onions are translucent. Stir in the flour, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir the broth (and reserved canned mushroom liquid if using) into the onion mixture, then stir in the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture has thickened, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken, rice, toasted almonds, pimientos, parsley, salt and pepper into the wet mixture. Pour everything into the prepared casserole dish and bake, uncovered, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 45 minutes.
Notes
Ensure the roux (butter and flour mixture) cooks for at least 2-3 minutes after adding the flour to eliminate any raw flour taste. Whisk the liquids in slowly to create a smooth sauce without lumps. For enhanced flavor, brown the fresh mushrooms well before the onions become translucent. Use leftover roasted chicken instead of plain boiled or poached chicken breast for deeper flavor. Adjust seasoning after combining all ingredients but before baking.