Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

About This Recipe

This casserole builds on Canada's wild rice tradition, pairing the chewy, nutty grain with tender shredded chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, all baked together until bubbling. Cooking the wild rice separately first, until the grains split open, ensures it's properly tender by the time the casserole finishes baking, since raw rice added directly wouldn't cook through in the same time. A roux-based sauce thickened with a bit of flour and enriched with cream gives the casserole a cohesive, comforting texture that holds everything together without turning watery, and browning the mushrooms separately before folding them in adds real depth rather than letting them steam pale and rubbery inside the dish. A crunchy breadcrumb topping baked until golden finishes the casserole with textural contrast against the creamy interior. This is straightforward, freezer-friendly family cooking, the kind of one-dish meal that shows up regularly on Canadian dinner tables through the colder months when a warm, baked casserole feels especially welcome.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 cupwild rice(rinsed)
• 2.5 cupschicken stock(divided)
• 3 cupscooked chicken(shredded)
• 2 cupscremini mushrooms(sliced)
• 4 tbspbutter(divided)
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1 cupheavy cream
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.75 cupbreadcrumbs
• 0.25 cupgrated parmesan

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the wild rice

   Combine wild rice and 2 cups chicken stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer covered 45 minutes until the grains split open and are tender.

2. 2

   Brown the mushrooms

   Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over high heat and cook mushrooms undisturbed 4-5 minutes until browned. Set aside.

3. 3

   Cook the onion

   In the same pan, melt 1 tbsp more butter and cook onion 6-7 minutes until soft.

4. 4

   Make the sauce

   Melt remaining butter with the onion, sprinkle in flour, and cook 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in remaining stock and cream until smooth.

   Cook the wild rice separately first — raw rice added directly to the casserole won't have time to cook through fully during baking.

5. 5

   Combine

   Simmer the sauce 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in cooked wild rice, shredded chicken, browned mushrooms, salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Transfer and top

   Pour into a baking dish. Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan and scatter evenly over the top.

7. 7

   Bake

   Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and the top is golden.

8. 8

   Serve

   Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add frozen peas or diced carrots for extra vegetables.

• •

  Use turkey instead of chicken, a common way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.

• •

  Swap heavy cream for half-and-half for a slightly lighter sauce.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze unbaked up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, covering with foil to prevent the top from over-browning.

Frequently Asked Questions