Every home cook needs a deliciously cozy casserole recipe and this Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole takes the prize!
A combination of wild rice, mushrooms, and chicken is baked in a quick, creamy, cheesy sauce for a dish everyone will love!
I have partnered with Reynolds Wrap® to bring you this delicious chicken casserole recipe.
Time Saving Tips
A budget friendly crowd-pleaser, this recipe is very versatile!
- The shortcut sauce requires no roux or slurry making it quick to stir together.
- To save cleanup time, line the pan with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil before adding the casserole ingredients. I like using Heavy Duty Foil in this recipe as it’s extra strong and durable.
- Use leftover rice, meat, or veggies!
Made in the U.S.A., Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil is perfect for lining pans for everything from lasagna to turkey dinner! The new box has a tab that keeps it fully closed for easy storage!
Ingredients and Variations
RICE: Wild rice mixtures can vary in both the types of rice in the mixture and the cooking time. For this reason, the rice is pre-cooked to ensure a perfect casserole every time.
CHICKEN: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are quickly browned before adding to the mixture. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts (or shredded chicken), those can be used too.
MUSHROOMS: We love the savory earthy flavor mushrooms add, we prefer brown or cremini mushrooms in this recipe. Mushrooms can be replaced with steamed broccoli.
SAUCE: The sauce in this recipe is simple and just needs to be stirred together. So easy! Swap out the cheddar for swiss or your own favorite cheese.
How to Make Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil.
- Saute onions & mushrooms. Add the rice and cook according to package directions.
- While the rice is cooking, brown the chicken breasts.
- Combine rice, sauce ingredients, and chicken in the prepared pan.
- Cover with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil and bake.
It is important that this casserole rests for at least 10 minutes before serving to thicken.
Cooking Tip: Covering the casserole with foil as it bakes helps it cook a bit faster and more evenly and keeps the top from drying out.
To Make Ahead of Time
Chicken and wild rice casserole is easy to make ahead!
Refrigerator
Prepare the casserole up to 24 hours in advance, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Set the casserole out while the oven preheats.
A casserole from the fridge is chilled throughout and will need extra time to cook. Keep it covered with foil while it bakes.
To Make This a Freezer Meal
This wild rice casserole freezes perfectly. Line the casserole dish with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil.
Assemble the casserole and cover tightly with the foil. Freeze the casserole and then lift it from the casserole dish and wrap the casserole tightly with the heavy duty foil to help keep it safe from freezer burn.
To bake, remove the casserole from the freezer and place it back into the casserole dish. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed below adding 15 minutes to the cook time.
What to Serve With Chicken Casserole
Round out this tasty casserole with a side of roasted cauliflower or steamed veggies (make that oven do double duty!) or add a crisp tossed salad.
Storing Leftovers
- Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To reheat on the stovetop, simply stir in a little milk.
- To reheat in the oven, bake at 350°F for about 18-22 minutes (depending on the quantity leftover).
- Freeze as directed above.
More Cozy Casseroles
- Cheesy Chicken Casserole
- 4 Ingredient Chicken Rice Casserole
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Classic Green Bean Casserole
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Zucchini Casserole
Did you make this Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces wild rice mixture 1 package
- 1 small onion diced
- 6 ounces brown mushrooms or cremini, sliced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9x13 qt baking dish with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil.
- Cook onion and mushrooms in a saucepan over medium heat until slightly softened.
- Add rice to the saucepan along with the water required on the package and cook according to package directions.
- While the rice is cooking, toss chicken with basil, thyme, and salt & pepper to taste. Brown chicken over medium heat in a skillet until all sides are browned and chicken is almost cooked through.
- Combine the cooked rice and browned chicken with mushroom soup, sour cream, chicken broth, and ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Toss well to combine.
- Spread into the prepared pan and cover with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil. Bake 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and top with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Chicken, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
What if cream of mushroom soup isn’t available in the country I live in? What could I use instead?
Deedee, you can make a homemade version! Try this recipe for condensed cream of mushroom soup.
This was delicious! Is the foil on the bottom necessary? I try to not bake in foil. Thank you for this recipe!
For best results and easy clean up we recommend putting foil at the bottom. If you do try it without foil I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
This was super tasty! I used ground pork sausage instead of chicken because all my chicken was frozen, roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup (it’s my favorite), left out the basil and instead used thyme and sage, used all wild rice and added some chicken bouillon to the cooking water, and put a butter and breadcrumb topping on it at the end. Didn’t use any cheese. Anyways it was delicious and I will be making it again. It would be a delicious filling for stuffed pumpkin or squash too.
This is a keeper for our family! I used chicken thighs instead and it was perfect! Next time I will add more chicken, but it was fantastic!
Such a great hearty winter recipe. Can this be doubled? If so, any changes to the amounts of ingredients.
It can be! If you double it in one pan it may need extra time and I would suggest stirring it after about 20 minutes.