Chicken and wild rice casserole is a hearty dish that’s as filling as it is warm and comforting. With plenty of cheese (can you ever have too much cheese?) and a creamy filling made without canned soup. It’s then covered with sliced almonds that give it a crunchy topping. Start out on the stovetop and then let all the flavors come together in the oven for a comfort meal everyone will love.
Easy to Make Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
This chicken and wild rice casserole can be prepped in just 15 minutes so you can have dinner on the table in less than an hour. Make it even easier by using pre-cooked wild rice or cook a box of wild rice with herbs and seasonings in the microwave while you make a homemade sauce. It has some pre-made parts and some from-scratch items so that while you save time, you aren’t sacrificing flavor.
A simple combination of rice, chicken, and sauteed veggies baked with plenty of cheese in a homemade cream sauce makes for an easy dinner with tons of flavor. If you like a traditional chicken and rice casserole or a chicken noodle casserole, you’re going to love this variation. There’s just nothing better than a comforting chicken casserole recipe, add this one to your rotation.
This baked casserole is made with long grain and wild rice, so it’s a bit fancier than your typical cheesy rice casserole. It adds a crunchiness to the dish, no mushy rice casserole here. Adding sour cream to the sauce makes it even creamier.
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This casserole requires just a little prep – you need cooked chicken and cooked rice. You can use a box of long grain and wild rice, or a package of Ready Rice. You’ll want a package with herbs and seasoning. I generally use Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice for this recipe.
For the chicken, you can roast chicken in the oven or use a rotisserie chicken.
Make this casserole ahead
This casserole makes a great freezer meal. It also makes a comforting dinner to take to a friend or neighbor.
If you plan to freeze or share the entire casserole, you can bake it in a disposable casserole dish.
Another option is to line your baking dish with 2-3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. After the dish bakes and cools to room temperature, freeze it and once frozen, lift the aluminum foil out of the pan. Your casserole will be in a frozen block that you can wrap in foil and put back in the freezer taking up less space then a bulky casserole dish.
What can I serve with chicken and wild rice casserole?
Serve this casserole with a fresh, homemade Greek cucumber salad or a strawberry spinach salad along with some simple to make buttermilk biscuits.
Wild Rice Casseroles are a Fam Favorite
- Family-Friendly: This casserole is a hit with the whole family, even kids! Its creamy texture, cheesy goodness, and familiar flavors make it a winning dinner.
- Great Texture:The wild rice blend adds a unique texture, it won’t get mushy as it bakes and the almonds toast up nice and crispy.
- Creamy Comfort Food: The creamy homemade sauce adds so much more flavor than canned soup.
- Easy to Prep: Just 15 minutes and you can throw it in the oven.
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole Ingredients
- Cooked Long grain and wild rice with herb seasoning – This comes in a box where you have to cook it first or you can use Ready Rice that comes in a pouch and is already cooked. Just don’t add uncooked rice to this casserole, it will not cook.
- Onion and celery – These will add the base for the flavor.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – You’ll need an 8 ounce block of sharp cheddar but you can substitute your favorite, try Swiss for a different flavor or Monterey Jack if you want a more mild cheese.
- Cooked chicken – A rotisserie chicken works great or you can roast chicken in the oven or in an instant pot.
- Sour cream – I prefer full-fat for extra creaminess.
- Sliced almonds – If you don’t have almonds on hand, Panko bread crumbs or even crushed Ritz crackers can provide a similar crunch and plenty of flavor.
- Pantry Staples – Butter, salt and black pepper, milk, chicken stock, flour.
Simple Steps for making a Chicken and Wild Rice Recipe
Step 1: Saute the veggies.
In a large, oven-proof skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add diced onions and celery and cook until they’re soft.
Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth until it’s warm.
Step 2: Mix everything together.
Add a little more butter to the skillet and whisk in flour and let it cook for about a minute. It will look lumpy and thick, and that’s ok. Slowly, add in a bit of the warm broth mixture, whisking between each addition. When it’s fully incorporated, continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, which should take a few minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Step 3: Add the chicken and remaining ingredients.
Add the cooked and chopped chicken to the sauce, along with some cheese and the cooked rice. Stir the mixture together, then add in the sour cream, remaining milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle a little cheese evenly over the top of the skillet, then finish with the sliced almonds.
Step 4: Bake the casserole.
Carefully transfer the casserole to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove when it’s bubbly around the edges.
Tips for Making Baked Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
- Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving. This lets any remaining moisture thicken up.
- Check that your rice is cooked properly before adding it to the casserole. It should be fully cooked through and still be fluffy.
- Take a peek at the casserole at the 20-minute mark. If you notice your casserole is getting too brown, set a piece of foil over the top of the skillet. You don’t have to wrap it tightly around.
How to Store Leftover Wild Rice Casserole
In the fridge: Allow the leftover casserole to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Your casserole should stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: Allow the casserole to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or wrapping it tightly with aluminum foil. You can divide it up into smaller portions for lunches, too. Store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
How to reheat: You can always use the microwave to reheat leftovers. Cover your dish with plastic wrap to help keep the casserole moist as it reheats. Warm them for 1-2 minutes, depending on the serving size, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat leftovers (or an entire casserole) in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover a casserole dish with aluminum foil to prevent drying out, and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
What if I don’t have an oven-proof skillet?
Having an oven-proof skillet on hand makes for fewer dishes to clean up. But if you don’t have one, you just transfer the casserole to a 9 x 13 baking dish or 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake and almonds and bake as directed.
More Family-Friendly Casseroles For Busy Weeknights
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Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole Topped with Toasted Almonds
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz package long grain and wild rice with herb seasoning
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk divided
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese 4 cups shredded
- 2 ½ cups cooked chicken chopped
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Cook the rice per package directions.
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Combine chicken broth and ½ cup milk in a measuring cup and warm in the microwave.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the onions and celery and once melted, whisk in flour and cook for a minute. Gradually add the warm chicken broth mixture, whisking until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add cooked and chopped chicken, 3 cups of the cheese and cooked rice and stir to combine. Next add sour cream and ½ cup of milk, combine and salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake for 30 minutes until it is bubbly around the edges.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If using a box of wild rice, you will need to cook it per the package instructions.
- Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving. This lets any remaining moisture thicken up so the rice serves up fluffy.
- Check that your rice is cooked properly before adding it to the casserole. It should be fully cooked through and still be fluffy.
- Take a peek at the casserole at the 20 minute mark. If you notice your casserole is getting too brown, set a piece of foil over the top of the skillet. You don’t have to wrap it tightly around.
Nutrition
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Cheryl says
This is just absolutely delicious! It’s so flavorful the almond give it a nice little crunch. It was not difficult to put together, and is really good! I definitely will be making this again!!
Barbara Curry says
The almonds are the star! Thanks for your review and rating, it means a lot.