Chicken, Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole

Rating: 3.44 stars
32 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 7
  • 4 star values: 13
  • 3 star values: 3
  • 2 star values: 5
  • 1 star values: 4

In Minnesota, chicken, mushrooms and wild rice are often bound together in a casserole with cream of mushroom soup. We forgo the sodium-rich canned soup and make a light, creamy sauce that gets depth of flavor from dry sherry and Parmesan cheese. If you already have cooked chicken, use 4 cups and skip Step 2.

Jessie Price
Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2010

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Recipe Summary

total:
1 hr 45 mins
Servings:
8
Nutrition Profile:
Heart Healthy
Low-Calorie
Diabetic Appropriate
Low Sodium
High Blood Pressure
Healthy Aging
Healthy Immunity
Low Added Sugars
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Combine water and rice in a small heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain.

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  • Meanwhile, place chicken in a large skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let cool.

  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until their liquid has been released and has evaporated, 12 to 14 minutes. Add sherry, increase heat to high and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Add milk; bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Stir in Parmesan, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

  • Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Spread the rice in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Top with the chicken, then green beans. Pour the sauce over the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with almonds.

  • Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the almonds are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month (defrost in the refrigerator for 2 days before baking). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake at 350°F for about 1 hour.

Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. “Cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets can be high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that's sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.

Storage smarts: For long-term freezer storage, wrap your food in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. The plastic will help prevent freezer burn while the foil will help keep off-odors from seeping into the food.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
371 calories; protein 33.6g 67% DV; carbohydrates 25.8g 8% DV; exchange other carbs 1.5; dietary fiber 3.9g 16% DV; sugars 6.6g; fat 13.4g 21% DV; saturated fat 3.8g 19% DV; cholesterol 75.8mg 25% DV; vitamin a iu 1011.2IU 20% DV; vitamin c 9.3mg 16% DV; folate 72.8mcg 18% DV; calcium 199.3mg 20% DV; iron 2.9mg 16% DV; magnesium 85.1mg 30% DV; potassium 801mg 22% DV; sodium 489.8mg 20% DV; thiamin 0.2mg 23% DV.
Exchanges:

1 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Reviews (32)

Read More Reviews
32 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 7
  • 4 star values: 13
  • 3 star values: 3
  • 2 star values: 5
  • 1 star values: 4
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Eating well user
Rating: 5 stars
01/03/2019
Originally from Minnesota. I had a 25 year old recipe for this hotdish that needed updating. There is a significant difference between MN/Canadian wild rice and California cultivated. MN wild rice calls for a 4:1 ratio water to rice. You will need 2 cups cooked rice for a 1/2 batch that is baked in a greased 9x9. The finished product should yield 4 to 6 servings. Cook the wild rice for 35 minutes and drain. Cut the 1 lb chicken breast into bite sized pieces and brown in a Dutch oven using a half Tbsp butter. Remove chicken and save any juices to add back later. Add half Tbsp canola oil and sautee 1 chopped leek and 3/4 cup chopped celery for 4 to 5 min. Add 12 oz sliced crimini mushrooms cook the 12 to 14 min. Add 1/2 cup white zin wine and cook until almost evaporated. Mix 2 Tbsp Flour into the 1 cup skim milk add stirring until thickened. Add 1/4 cup each fresh grated Parmesan and lite sour cream. Add 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Add back chicken and rice. Toss to mix. Pour into baking dish cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 min. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle on 3/8 cup chopped cashews (traditional) and bake 15 min more. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve green beans and/or carrots as a side. Read More
atr
Rating: 1 stars
01/24/2017
This should actually be titled "Green Bean Casserole" since that is all you can taste. It might be better if you used asparagus instead. We put 2/3 of the green beans in this since it seemed like a lot but it was still very green beany. Won't make it again. We'll have to throw the rest away after my husband and I ate a single serving tonight. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
04/18/2016
Dry and Undersalted I cut this recipe in half baking it in a 1.5-quart Pyrex casserole. It came out dryish especially the chicken and I thought it needed more salt and about twice as much green beans. Pros: Family Willing to Eat Again Cons: Dry and Undersalted Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/24/2016
Wonderful with kagayaki Used Korean kagayaki 6 grain rice instead of wild rice - 2 cups of cooked. Comfort food - kind of like cream of mushroom soup casserole but healthier. Pros: Easy Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
12/14/2015
Very bland Made following recipe except used leftover T'giving turkey. Very little flavor from sherry salt and pepper. Needs something else to add flavor. Pros: Easy to Prepare healthy eating varied texture Cons: Lacking flavor Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
01/09/2015
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND INGREDIENTS Saw recipe and sounded delicious. A kitchen full of dishes and dinner in disposal. First recipe that really disappointed.I am not new at cooking Just wanted to save others time. Read More
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Chris I.
Rating: 5 stars
10/15/2014
Fabulous Casserole We loved this recipe!!! But it needs a little tweaking.....First check the directions on the wild rice package as this calls for too much water. I sauteed the chicken instead of boiling and used french cut green beans. I also added about 1/4 cup fresh sage. Finally don't overdo the almonds. I used about half what the recipe specified. Despite my critique I would give this the highest rating because the flavor of the sherry with the leeks and mushrooms is just spectacular! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/04/2013
I also amended the recipe a bit. I used an onion and 2 cloves of garlic instead of the leeks. I also did not cook off all the mushroom liquid or sherry. Instead of mixing the flour to the mushrooms I blended it into the milk and added this to the mushroom mixture cooking until thickened. I found this created a moist but not runny casserole. Finally I mixed everything together instead of layering it. It was very tasty. I used a gluten free flour mix and it worked perfect too. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/04/2013
Awesome Casserole I also amended the recipe a bit. I cheated with a rotisserie chicken. I used an onion and 2 cloves of garlic instead of the leeks. I also did not cook off all the mushroom liquid or sherry. Instead of mixing the flour to the mushrooms I blended it into the milk and added this to the mushroom mixture cooking until thickened. I found this created a moist but not runny casserole. Finally I mixed everything together instead of layering it. It was very tasty. I used a gluten free flour mix and it worked perfect too. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
12/04/2013
A I also amended the recipe a bit. I used an onion and 2 cloves of garlic instead of the leeks. I also did not cook off all the mushroom liquid or sherry. Instead of mixing the flour to the mushrooms I blended it into the milk and added this to the mushroom mixture cooking until thickened. I found this created a moist but not runny casserole. Finally I mixed everything together instead of layering it. It was very tasty. I used a gluten free flour mix and it worked perfect too. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
02/28/2013
Needs some tweaking I made the following tweaks the 2nd time and getting better: 2 Times the amount of Rice Braised the Chicken w/ some Rustic Blend Spices No Leeks 1 Whole Vidalia Onion Diced 3 Stalks of Celery Chopped 3 Tsp Ground Black Pepper 1/2 cup Flour Pros: Ease of Preperation Make Ahead Serves A Lot Cons: Not enough Flavor/Rice Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2012
Needs more spices I make this at home all the time but I use sage sausage instead of chicken. It gives the right spices. My kids loves this dish!!! Read More
Mrskmturner
Rating: 4 stars
08/09/2012
Yummy This dish turned out fantastic. I followed the advice of some of the other reviewers. These are the changes I made: 1 cup of rice instead of 1/2 cup 3 cups of milk instead of 2 added celery and fresh garlic with the leeks cooked chicken in skillet with olive oil garlic salt pepper added rosemary parsley and garlic salt used broccoli instead of green beans This dish had tons of flavor and made a lot of food. Looking forward to the leftovers! Pros: hearty meal that makes a lot of food Cons: prep time a little long Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
06/01/2012
Great with a few changes Per the other reviews saying that it was bland I did quite a bit of editing to this recipe and it turned out great! I used 1 cup of rice and cooked it in 1 cup water and 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth used a rotisserie chicken for the meat added an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt substituted low-sodium chicken broth for the sherry (I'm not fond of the taste) substituted the frozen green beans for two heaping cups of fresh broccoli and topped it with a bit more parmesan cheese before the almonds. With all of the changes it was very flavorful and the whole family enjoyed it! Read More
Meghan Mao
Rating: 2 stars
05/22/2012
Ingredients not in proportion I Added at least a cup more milk and a cup more sour cream after assembling the whole casserole because it was way too dry. The liquid needs to come to the top of the food in a casserole but the sauce only coated the food. I also wish the recipe had called for twice the rice. I also spiced it up with a splash of sherry directly in the sauce that I added at the end with basil ginger powder and cayenne. Soy sauce too. The chicken needed some flavor so I pan cooked it with light oil with LOTS of garlic. These adjustments worked really well and made a good dish with flavor. Pros: Good ingredients but bland and dry without major adjustments Cons: Not enough rice milk spices salt too much chicken and mushrooms. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
02/26/2012
okay but not great I agree with some other reviewers that it was not anything special. It was rather bland but my husband and I agreed that we would eat it again. The sauce didn't thicken as I expected. Will try it again with different veggies such as spinach onions and celery maybe with some garlic Cons: bland Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 2 stars
02/02/2012
Bland and Dry I made this recipe as instructed against my better judgement. At first it appeared that the liquid would not be enough for the casserole and after assembling was right. I added more milk before putting in the oven and the dish was still quite dry. The lack of any spices or herbs was another mistake. Other comments that recommended more salt were right. More salt made a bit of difference but the potential was there for a much more tastier dish if some herbs were added. I would make it again but would increase the liquids by at least another cup to cup and a half and I would add some herbs such as rosemary thyme or even some cayenne pepper. Pros: Combination of ingredients are a good mix. Cons: Lack of flavour Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
01/18/2012
Better than it looks! Although I was prepared for the amount of time I would need to make this casserole I was unprepared for the way it would look when it came out of the oven! It's really brown and looks very unappetizing. However it is very tasty (after you add a little more salt than the recipe calls for) and it definitely hit the spot on a snowy Pennsylvania night! I probably wouldn't serve it to anyone outside of my immediate family...although I will definitely serve it to them again! I used 1 cup of brown rice in place of the wild rice which worked out just fine. Pros: Comfort food fix reheats well Cons: Takes some time to prepare Not pretty! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
I followed this recipe almost exactly (except I used 1 cup of wild rice instead of the 1/2 cup listed. I thought that was a lot of liquid for the amount of rice they gave). My husband and I really liked this recipe. In fact we had the leftovers for breakfast. It has a great taste. The sliced almonds on top were good. The only drawback is that it's not "as pretty" as some dishes which I think is because of the mushrooms. I would make this recipe again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
I too used almost 1 cup of wild rice. I made this casserole to share with my niece and her family and we all loved it. I also made one and froze it to send to college for my son to enjoy. It was a great comfort food and was nice to know it was a healthy dinner. The prep time is definitely worth the end product. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
Great recipe - would definitely make it again and now that I see the other comments about the 1 cup of rice I would do that too! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
I used 1 cup of rice per the reviews. We thought that this was very good comfort food. I don't really see the point in layering the ingredients as it doesn't hold its shape when serving. I think next time I would just mix the sauce chicken green beans and rice together and then top with the sliced almonds. I would definately make again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEAL AND VERY TASTEFUL Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
The recipe turned out good. If you like casseroles that are usually made with of the condensed soup you will probably really enjoy this dish. I don't use condensed soup so this was a nice way to prepare this type of a dish without all the extra sodium and processed ingredients. I made it for the parents who really loved it. I followed the recipe as written. It reheated well the next day also. Just as the article said it is something that works well at a church function. Read More
christina.buffa@yahoo.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
my family loves this dish this is a hearty casserole that my family cannot get enough of. I have made it twice in one week and I am getting requests to make it again. it does take a little bit of time but if you prep some of the items ahead of time its not to hard to put together. I would agree I don't think layering the rice chicken green beans and then topping is necessary. Next time I am going to try 1 cup of rice and not layering. Pros: well-balanced healthy food Cons: prep time Read More
jordanhorowitz@verizon.net
Rating: 1 stars
10/29/2011
Disappointingly bland This was not an EW winner for me. We found it to be extremely bland. Perhaps more salt and pepper maybe some additional herbs. I think the leeks just aren't strong enough to carry the dish. Read More
blangston
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Good way to impress! This dish was fairly easy to make and seemed so fancy even though the presentation wasn't the neatest. The almonds were a great touch. I think it would taste just as good with frozen broccoli instead of the green beans. My husband who typically isn't a fan of casseroles had seconds! I'll be making this again! Read More
lpidgen@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Very tasty My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. He's a good trouper and will try any recipe I decide to make but this is one that we both loved! I typically hate recipes with alcohol in them no matter how I try to cook it out I can always taste it. I ended up using 3/4 cup cream sherry in place of 1 cup dry sherry and the taste was fantastic! I will be making this one again very soon. Pros: Great to make ahead reheats very well Cons: takes a good bit of prep time Read More
JG
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
Super Tasty Takes forever to make I loved this dish! I just wish it didn't take forever to make (it didn't help that I was already starving when I set out to make this dish AND I had to slice 1&1/2 pounds of mushrooms...oops!). But I think it was worth the wait. Maybe some time-saving cuts could be getting pre-sliced mushrooms and an already cooked rotisserie chicken. Also I didn't have sherry so I used chicken stock and it was good. I agree with blangston that frozen broccoli would probably be just as good (and will probably try that next time as I have a bean-hater in my house). Pros: Delicious Comfort Food Creamy Sauce Cons: Long preparation time Read More
angledge
Rating: 2 stars
10/29/2011
Not very flavorful Time saving tip: use a food processor to do all the chopping. I used mine for the leeks mushrooms parsley & parmesan cheese. This recipe was bland. Particularly the boiled chicken was bland. If I try it again I will spice up the chicken once it is cut into bite-sized pieces - maybe garlic salt or onion salt maybe some poultry seasoning. Pros: Makes a lot of food Cons: Take forever to make Read More
emma.duer@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
Yum! Made this with mushroom celery and kale and it turned out great! Read More
jrothi@cinci.rr.com
Rating: 2 stars
10/29/2011
Enh... This wasn't anything special. And for the amount of time it took not worth making again. Read More
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