This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a great recipe for a weeknight dinner but it’s fancy enough to serve for a special occasion. If you love to cook with rice then you’ll love this casserole.
This recipe has been on regular rotation with my family for years. It’s comforting and delicious. Make with leftover chicken, or a rotisserie chicken to make this easy recipe even easier!
There is just something wonderful about a casserole. The yummy goodness like Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole or this popular Monterrey Chicken Spaghetti brings a lot of flavor and are budget friendly. Another great chicken casserole is this one for Ro-Tel Chicken Pasta that’s made with lots of cheese goodness. Sometimes a warm from the oven casserole is just what you need to make a bad day better!
How to make Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole:
(scroll down to bottom of page for full recipe)
Ingredients:
- chicken
- wild rice
- parmesan cheese
- cream of chicken soup
- Italian seasoning
- garlic
- onion
- butter
- sour cream
- dry white wine or chicken broth
Instructions:
- Begin, by preparing the wild rice according to package directions.
- While the rice is cooking in a large skillet over medium heart melt butter and then cook chopped onion until tender and almost translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Next, stir in soup, sour cream, Italian seasoning, half the parmesan cheese and chicken broth.
- Stir in the prepared rice and chicken. Transfer everything into a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Sprinkle more parmesan cheese over the top and then place in a 350º oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Garish with parsley and more parmesan cheese if desired.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Change the Seasoning: The teaspoon Italian Seasoning in this recipe can be swapped for 1/2 teaspoon basil plus 1/2 teaspoon oregano.
- Give it Some Extra Flavor: Swap the chicken broth for a dry white wine. This is an even swap no need to adjust the recipe. The white wine will change the flavor giving the casserole a slightly more savory flavor.
- No Wine Try White Wine Vinegar: You can also swap the wine for white wine vinegar. The vinegar will add a lot of acidity to the dish. For this reason you will need to dilute the vinegar with water. For this swap you will need to combine equal parts vinegar and water. This will be 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons of each liquid.
- Add Mushrooms: To add some veggies to this casserole try adding a jar of slice mushrooms to the mixture before transferring it to the baking dish.
What kind of wine do I use?
I love a nice Chardonnay and I usually have a bottle on hand so that’s what I used. If you prefer something a little lighter you could use a Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. Another good option would be a Dry Sherry.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers;
Refrigerator: Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating: Stovetop method: transfer chicken and wild rice to a skillet and warm on low heat stirring occasionally until heated through.Microwave method: in a microwave safe dish heat leftovers in 30 second intervals. Stir between each interval until heated through.
Freezing and Thawing:
Freezer: Prepare the casserole as instructed but do not bake. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or cover with foil and freeze for up to three months.
Thawing: When ready to bake place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Bake as directed.
What to serve with this casserole?
I like to serve a simple vegetable side dish or tossed salad to make this a complete meal. Some serving suggestions are:
Oven Roasted Parmesan Acorn Squash
No matter how you choose to make it this is a recipe that you’ll go back to again and again. Thank you so much for reading! Are you following New South Charm on Facebook? I’d love to hear from you; drop by and say hello!
Happy Cooking Y’all!
Susanne
Still hungry? Follow New South Charm on Pinterest for more recipe ideas!
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a great recipe for a weeknight dinner but it's fancy enough to serve for a special occasion. If you love to cook with rice then you'll love this casserole.
Ingredients
- 12 oz wild rice mix prepared
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken prepared
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 10 ½ ounce cream of chicken soup or condensed chicken with white and wild rice soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
-
Preheat oven 350 degrees
-
Prepare rice according to package directions
-
In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter then cook onion until tender. Sautee garlic until fragrant. Stir in soup, sour cream, basil, half the parmesan cheese and wine or chicken broth. Stir in cooked wild rice and chicken.
-
Transfer to a 9x13 casserole dish sprinkle reamining cheese on top and cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.
-
Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.
Recipe originally published on August 26, 2021 and updated on April 10, 2024
LuAnn Braley
New follower from Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy.
I’ve pinned this post (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/95983035783607129/) because I am looking for new recipes for chicken. Things have gotten a little samey in that department at my house as of late. Looks like a goodie!
Trisha Wheatley
Yum! This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing!
Found you on Simple Supper blog hop!
leapfrogandlipgloss
That looks delicious! I’m always looking for something different to try with chicken.
Elizabeth Lund
Yum!! I love wild rice with chicken. Delicious. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!! Pinning to my personal board.
Kara Carter
This looks delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Julia Klimek
Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday! Delicious! I love sour cream/saucy chicken dishes. Thank you – I’ll be sharing this! Julia
Barb
That looks like pure comfort food!
Amy
I really enjoy wild rice, it is really tasty and I think that this casserole will taste so good. Perfect for dinner tonight. Thanks.
Denise
Each box of Rice-a-Roni is 6.9 oz. Did you use 2? The recipe says a 6 oz pkg, so I was thinking 1 (?).
Susanne
Denise I did use two boxes of rice. If you can find a larger size box then you would only need one. For some reason at my local grocery store that was the only size package of wild rice I could find.
Thanks
Susanne
Sandy Jolliffe
Can I use can wild rice.
Monica
Just to be sure- the chicken is cooked before you put it in the casserole? If so, did you use any spices?
Susanne
Yes the chicken is cooked. I season the chicken with salt and pepper before cooking it.
Susanne