Cheesy Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole
This cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole is the definition of comfort food with wild rice, chicken, and veggies all smothered in a rich cheese sauce and baked. It’s a hearty, warming casserole that the whole family will beg you to make over and over again!
Fall and winter is officially comfort food season.
And to me, there’s nothing more comforting or satisfying than a hearty casserole full of carbs and cheese.
Which is exactly what this cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole is.
This dish keeps you cozy during the cold months with cheesy, carby goodness to warm you up.
And the rich, homemade cheese sauce keeps everyone coming to the table happily and helping themselves to seconds.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Olive oil– Or another light colored oil
- Veggies– Diced yellow onion, sliced celery, and peeled and sliced carrots
- Garlic– Minced
- Chicken– Chopped rotisserie chicken. Remove the skin and bones.
- Rice– 3 boxes of Rice A Roni wild rice cooked to the package instructions and an optional cup of steamed white rice
- Salt and pepper– To taste
- Cheese sauce ingredients– Butter, flour, chicken broth, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste
How to Make
This cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole is easy to make!
Start by heating olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, saute the veggies in the oil until they are tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and let it cook until the garlic is fragrant.
When the garlic is fragrant, stir in the chopped chicken and cooked rice.
Turn the heat down to low, stirring occasionally, while you make the cheese sauce.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium-medium high heat in a large skillet.
Whisk the flour into the melted butter and let it cook for 30 seconds, stirring consistently, to cook off any flour taste.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Then whisk in the broth, a little at a time, until the mixture’s thick, bubbly, and smooth.
Once the mixture’s thick and bubbling, whisk in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar until the cheese is melted and the cheese sauce is smooth.
Pour the cheese sauce into the chicken, rice, and veggie mixture, stirring until evenly incorporated.
Transfer the chicken and rice mixture to a 9×13″ casserole dish you’ve sprayed with nonstick spray, spreading it out evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar evenly out over top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the casserole’s bubbly and the cheese melts.
Take the casserole out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
This casserole saves very well in the fridge!
To store it, let it cool to room temperature and tightly cover it in the casserole dish.
You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole casserole in a hot oven until warmed through.
Freezing Instructions
This chicken and rice casserole also makes a handy freezer meal.
Make it according to the instructions, transferring the casserole to a freezer safe casserole dish with a cover.
Do not bake it and transfer it to the freezer.
Freeze the casserole for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to reheat this freezer friendly casserole, make sure you thaw it in the fridge for several hours first.
Heat the casserole in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the casserole is warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t want to chop the veggies? You can buy precut containers of mirepoix mix in the produce section of most grocery stores. They come in ten ounce containers. You’ll need 2 containers.
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes.
- Leftover roast or grilled chicken would also work in place of the rotisserie chicken.
Other Family Friendly Casserole Recipes
Cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole will get everyone around the table for a wholesome, family friendly favorite.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other family friendly casserole recipes?
Try these:
- Chicken And Dumplings Casserole
- Shrimp And Rice Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Sausage And Zucchini Casserole
- Cheesy Beef Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Rice Pilaf Casserole
- Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole
If you’ve tried this CHEESY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesy Chicken And Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3-4 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 3 large carrots peeled & thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup steamed white rice optional
- 3 boxes rice a roni wild rice cooked according to package directions
- salt & pepper to taste
For The Cheese Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, or similarly sized soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.2-3 tbsp olive oil
- Add the vegetables, and saute them until tender- about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic, stirring to incorporate, and let it cook for 1 minute- just until fragrant.1 yellow onion, 3-4 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, 3 cloves garlic
- Stir in the chopped chicken & cooked rice until evenly incorporated. Reduce the heat to low, but don't forget to stir the mixture occasionally to prevent sticking while preparing the sauce.3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, 1 cup steamed white rice, 3 boxes rice a roni wild rice
To Make The Cheese Sauce
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking to evenly combine. Let the mixture bubble for roughly 30 seconds while you're whisking to cook off any flour taste. Season with salt & pepper.4 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup flour, salt & pepper
- Whisk in the broth, a little at a time, until the mixture's thick, bubbly, and smooth.2 cups chicken broth
- Once the mixture's thick and bubbling, whisk in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the cheese sauce is smooth.3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Pour the cheese sauce into the chicken & veggie mixture, stirring until evenly incorporated.
To Assemble The Casserole
- Lightly spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non stick cooking spray
- Transfer the chicken & rice mixture to the dish, and use a spoon or spatula to evenly spread it out into the dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar evenly out over top of the casserole.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the casserole's hot & bubbly and the cheese is evenly melted over top.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, and let it rest for 5 minutes before scooping and serving.
Notes
- Don't want to chop the veggies? You can buy precut containers of mirepoix mix in the produce section of most grocery stores. They come in ten ounce containers. You'll need 2 containers.
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your tastes.
- Leftover roast or grilled chicken would also work in place of the rotisserie chicken.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Picky Palate
A perfect weeknight meal! Thank you for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday!
A very nice recipe. I made it for a friend’s birthday, who wanted a “cheesy chicken with wild rice” dish he remembered from his youth. Thank you; it made him quite happy. We are keeping the recipe, as we all liked it. The only change I would make is in the amount of rice–there were no Rice-A-Roni boxes available, so I used Uncle Ben’s version. I don’t know if it was a larger package or not, but three boxes was too much. I shall probably use only two in future.