Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Dear Friends,
March … we long for spring and yet, for most of us, winter keeps rearing its windy, rainy, snowy, head. In North Carolina, we are tempted to pack up our winter coats, but no can do Boo! I just arrived in Atlanta and it’s windy and cold here too. I’m sitting with my good friend Allison Hall by a fire and yes, we are enjoying a glass of wine! The point is, during the month of March we might be in tee shirts one day and down jackets the next. What to do when planning a dinner party? We want to serve something lighter than Beef Bourguignon, but a full-on Spring menu seems a bit premature. March is the perfect month for a classic crowd pleaser – Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t like a fabulous creamy casserole. Serve with a simple salad and bread and you’re set! Roar on March … we will be enjoying a cozy dinner with friends!
With gratitude,
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
INGREDIENTS
½ cup wild rice
1 6-oz box Uncle Ben’s Original Recipe Long Grain and Wild Rice
1 lb ground Italian sausage1 lb sliced mushrooms1 cup chopped onions ¼ cup flour
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 cups pulled chicken
Chopped macadamia nuts, optional
DIRECTIONS
Cook rice according to the box instructions. Cook wild rice first, transfer to large bowl, and use same pot to cook Uncle Ben’s. As each rice is ready, transfer to large bowl.
While you are cooking the rice . . .
In large skillet, saut. sausage until cooked through. Remove meat, drain, and break into small pieces. Add sausage to rice.
Using some of the sausage fat, in the same skillet, saut. mushrooms and onions. Add to the sausage and rice.
In the same skillet, mix flour and cream together until smooth. Add chicken broth and cook over medium to medium-high heat until thickened. Add to the rice, sausage, mushroom, and onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken. Mix. Transfer to large buttered casserole. Top with nuts, optional.
Bake at 350° for 30 min.
DEEDEE’S NOTES
- Recipe may be prepared earlier in the day or up to 2 days in advance. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and add nuts prior to baking.
- I recommend Haddon House Wild Rice.
- For 4 cups pulled chicken, use 1 whole roasted chicken or 2 large roasted bone-in chicken breasts.
- Increases well. Freezes well.
Become a Member of the Effortless Entertaining Community