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
- 1 package wild rice mixture 6 ounces
- 1 small onion diced
- 6 ounces brown or cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless skinless, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chicken broth
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded, 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.
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Wow, this is a keeper!!
Can this be made ahead before baking??
Absolutely Laurie! You can find all my tips for making it ahead in the refrigerator or as a freezer meal in my post. I hope this helps!
Excellent. I used some red peppers inspired by your chicken pasta dish. We loved it. Thanks Holly
Very good! I had to make some adjustments because I didn’t have all of the ingredients.
Subbed cream of chicken soup and Parmesan reggiano for the cheese. I also added chopped water chestnuts and sliced almonds.
Will make again but will not use basil or thyme. Didn’t really love the flavor from them. Oh and used butter in place of olive oil.
One of the absolute BEST recipes EVER!
Love, but I used the seasoning packet in Uncle Bens Wild Rice (it’s what I had) so omitted other spices except a little bit of Adobo on the chicken and added a few squirts of brown mustard for a tiny bit of kick. It was delicious! WILL make again and again!
Your version sounds delicious Angela! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Even with pre-cooking the chicken, it still didn’t cook all the way through in 20 minutes.
Made this last night – DELICIOUS! Needed to use up some leftover mushrooms, and had all of the other ingredients on hand. Definitely adding this to our rotation. It was creamy, flavorful, and hearty. Thank you.
So happy you loved it, Mona!
We loved it and it was super easy. I used left over grilled pork chops with seasoning salt…yummy! Thank you again Holly. I have made several of your dishes and enjoyed them all. I’m guilty of forgetting reviews but will try to get better!
So happy you are enjoying them, Jan! ❤️
Made this tonight and it was delicious! My family loved it. I make another, more complicated wild rice/chicken casserole and my family said they like this one better………and it’s half the work! The mushrooms add an earthiness that makes it almost like a risotto. I added chopped spinach and slivered almonds. So good! Thanks for sharing. I think I’ve added a new go-to recipe to my regulars! Love your site and your explanations!
That sounds like a win-win to me, Lori! Easier and more delicious :) So glad you enjoyed it.
Made the Chicken and wild rice Casserole tonight. Not a a fan of mushroom so left them out. Was so awesome!! Will definitely make again!! Thank you.
I am so glad this turned out for you Wanda!
This was delicious! I followed the recipe except I added about 2 teaspoons minced garlic when I sauteed the mushrooms, and added a generous handful of slivered almonds with the top layer of cheddar for the uncovered bake. Easy to make, and great leftovers.
Those sound like delicious modifications!
If I double the recipe…is the cook time the same?
As all of the items are fully cooked, it needs to heat through just enough to allow the flavors to blend and to melt the cheese. If you double it in one pan it may need extra time and I would suggest stirring it after about 20 minutes.
Made this tonight. Very disappointed. Texture was pasty but the taste was there. I wouldn’t make it again but I never stop looking and trying,
Sorry to hear that, Mary. Glad you enjoyed the flavor though. :)
I always rinse my rice . Cuts way down on the pasty texture.
Solid recipe, instructions slightly confusing, might need a pan larger than a saucepan as well. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe Justin!
I like 99.99% of your recipes, they are delicious always !
Please keep them coming.
God bless and keep you safe .
Thank you Linda, so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes!
I made this yummy recipe for dinner last night. I’m sure it didn’t need any additions, but since I can’t seem to “leave well enough alone,” I added a T. of Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 c. Sherry. Also, used Gruyere cheese instead of cheddar since that’s what I had on hand.
I love that Carolyn! I am glad you couldn’t “leave well enough alone” because those additions sound so delicious!