Chicken Comfort Casseroles!
Chicken with Wild Rice Casserole
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, we have sadly lost two good friends and a close family member in the last week or so. It’s been quite a challenging time. Of course, it’s probably no surprise I would find myself in the kitchen, serving dinner and taking meals as I’m sure would be the case with many of you. Cooking is a way to offer comfort to others. It is also a way I am comforted … I cook, reflect, grieve, and give thanks.
For these meals, I gravitate to casseroles and in this newsletter, I want to share two favorites. One is the Effortless Entertaining Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole and the other comes to you from Southern Discourse. Stacey is a wonderful cook and someone you may enjoy following!
A few things that make these casseroles especially good:
- For a large crowd eating on their laps, no knife is needed.
- Can be prepped and/or prepared fully in advance.
- Multipliy well.
- Freeze well.
- Travel well.
- Perfect for every season.
- Proven crowd pleasers.
Best of all, you’re able to serve or send something homemade … and it’s effortless for you!
From our home to yours,
Follow EE on
Instagram and Facebook
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Serves 10—12 Adapted from Beyond Parsley, Junior League of Kansas City
Ingredients
½ cup wild rice
1 6-oz box Uncle Ben’s Original Recipe Long Grain and Wild Rice
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
¼ cup flour
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 cups pulled chicken
Note: Instead of using Uncle Ben’s Rice, I am using long grain Basmati. When I do this, I add 1 tbsp Rosemary and 1 tbsp Thyme. I often use either Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s Wild Rice.
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, sauté 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, sauté 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.
Homemade Chicken Condensed Soup
Yields 2 cups
Ingredients
6 tbsp salted butter
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
For Stacey’s casserole, I made my homemade Chicken Condensed Soup. If you do this, be sure to add extra seasonings such as onion powder and garlic powder to the casserole. I also added additional salt and pepper. It’s also nice to top with fresh chopped parsley.
Directions
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to melted butter and whisk rapidly until mixture is thick, about 2 min.
Add chicken stock; whisk until smooth. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3–5 min.
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Printer-Friendly Condensed Chicken Soup Recipe
SOURCES & RESOURCES
Basmati Rice & Wild Rice
365 Wild Rice available at Whole Foods. Royal Basmati Rice available at local groceries.
Onion Chopper
If you missed the workshop that started this week, it’s the perfect time to think about our may my next workshop, which starts on Monday, April 8th. If you are interested, email me and we will add you to our waitlist. This is a great time to prepare for spring and summer gatherings.
Let’s use these quiet months to get organized, take care of our homes and the areas where we entertain, and conquer all that’s holding us back. If you’re a more seasoned host, this is the perfect refresh.
This is a wonderful time to invest in yourself and in your home! When spring breaks, you’ll be ready to throw open the doors and welcome the people you love!
Learn More about 30’s Days to Effortless Entertaining
Join me in April!
- Previous participants are invited to join free of charge to review. Please contact me at deedee@myeffortlessentertaining.com to register guests at the celebratory pricing.
- The online version of my guide, Effortless Entertaining is included for all participants.
- You will also receive complimentary access to our 11-part video series, Entertaining with Wellness with Kimberly Leatherman and me.
Email now to be added to our waitlist!
Printer-Friendly Newsletter
We want to hear from you!
Send us comments and photos!