Description
A comforting, creamy casserole combining chicken, wild rice, vegetables, and a buttery bread topping.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 carrots, chopped
- 5 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 10 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 3‑4 cups cubed bread (sturdy, dry, or day‑old bread works best)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (≈ 175 °C). In a large baking dish, combine the chopped onion, carrots, celery, wild rice, and chicken broth. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, make the sauce: melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, salt, and poultry seasoning; cook for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Optional topping: melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and toss with the cubed bread.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove the foil. Add the raw chicken pieces and pour the creamy sauce into the dish. Stir to combine.
- Arrange the buttered bread cubes evenly on top (if using).
- Increase oven temperature to 450 °F (≈ 230 °C). Bake uncovered for an additional 20–30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the bread cubes are golden brown.
- Once baked, optionally garnish with salt, pepper, or parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can use pre‑cooked or leftover chicken — just shred or dice it and mix it in with the rice and sauce.
- This casserole can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead; refrigerate covered and bake when ready.
- If you don’t have wild rice, you may substitute regular long‑grain rice (adjust cooking time accordingly).
- The bread topping is optional and can be omitted to reduce carbs.
- This casserole freezes well (up to 3 months). Thaw overnight in fridge and bake when ready.
Nutrition
- Calories: 354 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 766 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
