As hard as it is to bid the fun-filled summer farewell, the crisp, evocative autumn breeze that follows fills me with anticipation. Autumn brings many familiar sights and activities: beautiful foliage, pumpkins, and so many long-lived traditions. As a cook, the turn of the seasons signifies another important milestone: baking season! As summer winds down, I can’t help but look forward to the cozy, warm oven, and all the wonderful dishes that will emerge from it—like this mushroom and wild rice casserole!
This mushroom and wild rice casserole is full of flavor, texture, and nutrition. It boasts a great blend of flavors from the rich cream sauce to the savory mushrooms, to the toasty, nutty wild rice. In terms of texture, it’s got it all: crunchy celery and breadcrumbs, softer rice and mushrooms, and crunchy, chewy wild rice. For nutrition, the chicken adds light, healthy protein to all the vitamin-filled whole grains and vegetables. However, you can always omit the chicken to make this into a vegetarian dish.
If you are looking for a hearty, comforting dish to bring warmth to your home this fall, make this mushroom and wild rice casserole with chicken! It might just become one of the things you miss when summer rolls around again.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rice medley (long grain brown rice, black barley, daikon radish seeds, wild rice)
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Onion
- 1 Celery stalk
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 lb Chicken breast
- 1 lb White button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 16 oz Beef stock or vegetable stock
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated or shaved
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs, panko
Instructions
The first thing to do when making this mushroom & wild rice casserole is cook the rice. I used a blend of long-grain brown rice, black barley, daikon radish seeds, and wild rice. Rinse the rice and cook it according to the package directions. I cooked 2 cups of rice blend in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water on high with the lid on. Once the water started to boil, I lowered the heat and cooked for an additional 40 minutes.
The cooking time for the rice will vary depending on which type of rice you use. Whereas white rice would take about 25 minutes to cook, brown and wild rice can take a bit longer, about 45 minutes. If you want to save some time, you may be able to find a parboiled rice blend that cooks relatively quickly.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the ingredients for the cream of mushroom sauce with chicken. First, chop the celery, onion, and garlic. Optionally, slice the mushrooms if they’re not pre-sliced. Then, cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch cubes.
Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Add 4 Tbsp butter and chopped garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute to infuse the butter with garlic flavor. Then, add the onion, celery, and chicken, and cook for 15 minutes. Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the sliced mushrooms. Toss with 1/2 cup of flour to coat all the ingredients in the skillet. The flour helps to thicken the sauce.
Next, add 16 oz beef stock or vegetable stock and 1 cup heavy cream to the skillet. Cook for 10 minutes while stirring gently. Season the sauce with salt and white pepper. The sauce is done once the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is thickened.
Transfer the cooked rice and the mushroom sauce into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Gently stir in 1 cup of shaved or grated Parmesan cheese until combined. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs and another 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Put the casserole dish in an oven preheated to 350ºF. Bake for 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Take the mushroom & wild rice casserole out from the oven and serve warm.
If you like this Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole with Chicken, you may also like this One-Pan Cheesy Medley. And, don’t forget to subscribe via email or follow me on Instagram to receive all my latest recipes!
Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rice medley long-grain brown rice, black barley, daikon radish seeds, wild rice
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Onion
- 1 stalk Celery
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 lb Chicken breast
- 1 lb White button mushroom sliced
- ½ cup Flour
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 16 oz Beef or vegetable stock
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp White pepper
- 1¼ cup Parmesan grated or shaved
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs panko
Instructions
- Cook the rice blend according to the package instructions.
- Chop the onion, celery, and garlic. Dice the chicken breast into 1-inch cubes.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook butter and garlic for 1 minute. Add the onion, celery, and chicken to the skillet and cook for 15 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and flour. Gently stir to coat all the ingredients with flour. Add beef or vegetable stock, cream, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked rice blend and creamy mushroom sauce to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Add 1 cup of grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Gently mix all the ingredients. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and ¼ cup of grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Hi, Neat post. There’s an issue with your site in internet explorer, might check thisK IE still is the marketplace leader and a huge section of other folks will pass over your great writing because of this problem.