Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole Recipe makes a gourmet dish you will be proud to serve.

It is full flavored and creamy with chicken, long grain and wild rice with seasonings, sauteed fresh mushrooms and onions slices, in a distinctive sauce of sour cream and cream of mushroom soup.

Components are cooked and sauteed separately to give you a heightened taste experience.

Can cook chicken and make chicken stock one day, cook the other ingredients the next day, then assemble casserole, bake and serve.

Chicken And Wild Rice
Casserole Recipe

• 3 lbs. chicken breast and thighs*
  
  
• 1 qt. (4 cups) water to cover chicken
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
  
  
• 1 large red onion, sliced and divided
  
  
• 1 (6 oz.) pkg. long grain and wild rice (enriched parboiled) with seasonings
  
  
• 1 1/2 cup water for rice
  
  
• 2  cups chicken broth (from cooked chicken), divided
  
  
• 1 lb. fresh whole button mushrooms
  
  
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, divided
  
  
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
  
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
  
• 1/2 cup dry sherry**
  
  
• celery leaves for garnish (optional)
  
  
  

Cook Chicken

Wash chicken and place in pot to cook.

Add water, salt and sliced celery.

Chop about 1/3 of the sliced onion and add to pot.

Cover with lid.
 

Bring chicken to a boil on high heat.

Reduce to to medium heat and simmer until tender and meat starts to pull away from the bone.

Takes about 1 hour.

Remove from heat.

Cool until safe enough to handle.

Remove skin, bones and any gristle, if any and discard.

Check chicken broth for any undesirable skins or bones and discard.

Do not strain the chicken broth (the water left after cooking chicken).

It contains an abundance of flavor.

Reserve broth.

*You can use all white or dark chicken, if preferred.

**Use Cream Sherry instead of dry, if preferred.

However, this author thinks the Dry Sherry better enhances the dish.

Cook Long Grain And Wild Rice

Pour in 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth in medium size pot.

Stir in seasoning packet and rice.

Bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce heat to low.

Cover with lid.

Simmer 30 minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat.

While rice is cooking, prepare the mushrooms and onions.

Saute Mushrooms

Wash mushrooms and cut away bad spots if there are any.

If some of the mushrooms are extra large you may want to cut them in half or slice them so that they all cook evenly.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a skillet and melt on low heat.

Add mushrooms, cook and stir until mushrooms are lightly brown, tender and water has evaporated.


They will be done then.

Takes about 10 minutes.

Spoon mushrooms and drippings into a small bowl and set aside.

Saute Onions

Add 2 tablespoons butter to same skillet and melt on low heat.

Add remaining sliced onions and saute until transparent, stirring to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Mushroom Sauce

In a small bowl mix together undiluted cream of mushroom sauce, sour cream and 1/2 cup chicken broth.

Assemble Chicken
And Wild Rice Casserole

Spoon 1/2 of cooked rice into a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish or similar pan.

Spread evenly.

Top with 1/2 prepared chicken.

Spread evenly.

Pour 1/2 half of mushroom sauce over chicken.

Top with 1/2 sauteed onions.

Top with 1/2 sauteed mushrooms.

Repeat layers.

Pour Dry Sherry over all.

Place casserole in preheated oven 350 F. for 50-60 minutes until casserole is thoroughly heated and lightly browned.

Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before serving.

Garnish with celery leaves before serving, if desired.

Chicken And Wild Rice
is delicious with:

• Old Fashioned Candied Yams
  
  
• Seven Layer Salad
  
  
• Jellied Cranberry Sauce 
  
  
• Cranberry Jello Salad 
  
  
• Homemade Crescent Yeast Rolls.
  
  

A light dessert is perfect.

• Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding
  
  

Enjoy your gourmet meal!

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