This chicken wild rice casserole is a perfect family meal. With minimal prep, this dish comes together quickly and easily and can be made ahead of time. Creamy, full of flavor and a great freezer meal recipe.
This casserole is the perfect hearty comfort food. It’s loaded with delicious flavors and melty cheese, and best of all it requires very little hands on time. It’s perfect for a no fuss weeknight meal.
This is a great side dish for Easter, or a fabulous meal for any night of the year. Cozy. delicious, and easy!
Perfect to serve on its own or with a side of veggies. This is the ultimate comfort food!
How To Make Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Prep: Pre heat the oven and spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Cook the rice.
- Cook: On the stovetop, cook the garlic, onion and mushrooms in the butter until soft. Stir in the flour and chicken bouillon powder. Bring to the boil and stir in the cream, chicken, and rice. Stir in the cheese and almonds.
- Assemble: Transfer the rice mixture to the baking dish. Spread the buttered croutons over the top.
- Bake: Bake in the oven until bubbly and toasted.
Easy Casserole Recipe
This cozy recipe is perfect for any day of the year. Its just bursting with flavor, and is so easy to make.
I love feeling good about the food I feed my family, and simple casserole recipes are a big part of that. I love that this casserole adds an amazing depth of flavor with little effort.
A casserole like this is sure to be loved by the entire family!
Can you make this ahead of time?
This wild rice casserole is perfect for meal prep! You can store it either before or after you have baked it.
- You can make the mixture on the stovetop, let it cool and then keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can assemble and bake in the oven as per the recipe.
- You can freeze the rice mixture after you have cooked it on the stovetop. Let it cool and transfer to freezer containers or bags and it will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw the mixture in the fridge overnight before carrying on with the recipe.
- You can also bake the casserole from frozen, simply add an addition 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.
- You can bake the casserole and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven to serve.
Because this recipe contains chicken, take care to only reheat the casserole once.
What’s the best chicken to use?
When you add the chicken to the mixture, it needs to be cooked. You can either buy pre-cooked chicken or bake your own in the oven at 375F for 15-20 minutes. I used chicken breast, but you can use also thigh.
Do you have to you have to use cooked rice?
Yes. Cook the rice before mixing it with the other ingredients. Follow the instructions on the packet and drain it. You can also use pre-cooked rice if you prefer.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cook the rice and chicken before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
- Be sure to grease your baking dish before adding the ingredients. Use a 2.5 quart oven safe baking dish.
Make it GF
Make it gluten-free by using 1:1 gluten free flour and omitting the croutons.
This chicken wild rice casserole is so cozy and comforting, you’ll be making it all year round to satisfy your cravings!
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Easy White Chicken Chili
- Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Jambalaya
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken
- Chicken and Biscuits Casserole
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1 can 14-1/2 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
- 4 cups chicken cooked and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1 bag croutons crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium/high heat. Add in the garlic, onion, and mushrooms. Stir to coat in butter. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 2-4 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and chicken bouillion and use a wooden spoon to coat/combine.
- Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
- Boil, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, chicken, and rice. Cook until heated through.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded mozzarella and slivered almonds.
- Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Stir together the melted butter and crushed croutons. Spread over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and toasted. Enjoy!
Connie Graf says
Chicken wild rice casserole had no flavor at all. What can I add to make it taste good
Becky Hardin says
Add your favorite seasonings!