Chicken Wild Rice Casserole – Ala Tricia

I have several blogger buddies who I consider my go-to’s for reliably good recipes (you know who you are) and when I saw this dish on Tricia’s Saving Room For Dessert blog, I knew it had to be tried as it looked delicious, was pretty simple, and fairly healthy.  I just followed the recipe from her site, which also included some great pics like the one below.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole – Slightly adapted from Saving Room For Dessert

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

salt

pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 ounces mushrooms, tough stems removed, sliced

1½ cups wild rice blend

16 oz organic chicken broth

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:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet (or Dutch over medium-high heat. 

3. 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.

4. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter to the now empty skillet along with the onions and celery. 

5. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 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.

6. Melt 1 1/2 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.

7. 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. Simmer, uncovered, until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

8. While the rice is cooking, make the white sauce. In a small saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 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.

9. 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 cooked rice and push down lightly leaving the tops uncovered. 

10. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken registers 160 degrees F (for breasts) on an instant read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mine was not nearly as pretty as Tricia’s but it was very tasty and Cindy just raved about it.  The only negative was that the wild rice was still a little crunchy so maybe I should have added a little more liquid and cooked it about 10 more minutes before adding the sauce and the chicken to the pan – I have no experience with wild rice but read that chewiness is normal.  Thanks Tricia for a very good supper.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

12/15/19 event date