Hot and Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Name: Hot and Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5lbs Halal chicken breast; 7 celery stalks; 5 carrots; 2 medium yellow onions; 1lb cremini mushrooms; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 ½ cups wild rice; 1 ½ tbsp butter; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 2 tbsp butter; 3 tbsp flour; 3 cups Halal chicken broth; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 cups milk; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; Salt; Pepper; 1 tbsp thyme; 1 tbsp dried parsley; 1 tbsp dried basil; 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded; ½ cup grated parmesan; 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded; 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs; Canola or other neutral flavored oil

Top-down image of a casserole with a large spoonful of tender chicken, sliced carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onion in a creamy sauce. The casserole is topped with melted cheese and golden-brown breadcrumbs and sprinkled with parsley.

Imagine this, if you will, dear reader; the Fall months have arrived, the days are getting shorter and the weather’s getting cooler, and you’re home for the evening trying to think of the perfect dinner recipe. We’ve all been there, and sometimes finding the recipe that sounds just right is easier said than done, until now that is! Because this week we have a recipe for Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole that may just be the ultimate in Fall cooking. You won’t be able to get enough! It’s all your favorite parts of tender Halal chicken with hearty veggies and rice all in one gooey, cheesy, and crispy package for the perfect dinner this Fall.

Jumping right into this recipe, like a lot of casseroles there’s a fair amount of prep to this recipe. But a fair amount of it can be done while other parts cook. So, save some time and multitask! For instance, while your wild rice cooks, you have ample opportunity to start slicing your veggies and chicken. Because all the prep after this involves cooking ingredients before they’re finally assembled in the casserole dish, this can all be done in a large pot or Dutch oven and removed once they’re done. While there’s a fair amount to prep for this recipe, the number of dishes required for it is mercifully few. After the veggies, chicken, and rice are cooked, keep it all aside in a large bowl, no need to keep them separate.

After the veggies and chicken are prepped and cooked, it’s on to the cream sauce that makes this recipe so delectably smooth. Like most homemade cream sauces, it just requires the patience to add its ingredients in batches and mix throughout to keep it from turning out lumpy and uneven, then letting it simmer to reduce a bit. A good rule of thumb for sauces is you want them thick enough to coat the back of a spoon evenly. If you can do that then you’ll be left with a smooth, slightly cheesy, and wonderfully seasoned sauce that your chicken, veggies, and rice are ready to get tossed into and mixed into a hearty and rich flavor extravaganza.

After it’s all mixed, lay it out in a casserole dish, top with freshly shredded cheese, and a final topping of fried breadcrumbs. All you need to do for it is fry a little bit of Panko breadcrumbs in the pot with some neutral flavored oil until golden-brown, and this is what gives this recipe just a little bit of satisfying crunch and breaded flavor to round out the whole dish. Then after a quick trip to a hot oven, you’ll have a dish full of amazing flavors and fantastic textures that are hot and ready for your plate. The chicken is juicy, the veggies are tender, and they’re all rolled together in a deliciously smooth and creamy sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs at the end.

This is another dish that hits all the marks and makes the time spent well worth it, with plenty to share at the end. This is one that we know you’d love to try for yourself, and it’s just in time for Fall cooking so do yourself a favor and try it out. Let us know what you think down below or what you did differently to make it your own, and as always, we’ll see you next week with another recipe. Until then, enjoy!