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Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

December 28, 2016 | Chicken

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This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor. Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.

This is the casserole I grew up on. I loved it as a child and I still love it today. Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole will forever be on our meal rotation.Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.

Of all the casseroles I’ve eaten, this is seriously one of the best. Why? First, the flavor and texture is awesome. Instead of using plain white rice you use the seasoned Long Grain and Wild Rice. So much flavor packed in the rice alone! Then in the casserole you’ve got some chicken, and yummy cheese and cream of chicken soup that create a nice sauce to hold everything together and gives moisture to the dish. And then to top it all off you add a layer of stuffing. I’m pretty much addicted to stuffing (Thanksgiving Stuffing) so having that on top is a dream come true. It adds the perfect amount of crispiness and flavor to round out the dish.Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.

Second, you can make it ahead of time! And you don’t have the cook the chicken. Just cook your rice, layer everything in a casserole dish, and stick it in the fridge until an hour before you want to eat.

Third, it freezes great. Since our family is small, I like to split the ingredients into two 8×8 inch dishes and freeze one to have on hand. Then just place the casserole in the fridge the night before you want to eat it and cook it as directed. Easy Peasy! If you don’t want to keep your dish in the freezer, line it with foil before layer in the casserole. When the casserole freezes you can easily lift it out of the pan and put it in a freezer bag.Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.

And finally, this casserole is great for feeding your own family but it’s also a perfect dish to take to those in need. I like to take this Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole or Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad to all those new mamas who are getting fragmented sleep and are just on survival mode.Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.

Make it a complete meal by serving it with a side of salad, green beans, carrots… whatever. Your family will walk away from the table feeling full and nourished. Enjoy!

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.
Print Recipe
5 from 12 votes

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr 20 mins
Total Time1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 8
Author: Garnish and Glaze

Ingredients

  • 1 6 ounce package Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • ¼ cup chicken broth or water
  • Paprika
  • 3 cups Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Instructions

  • Cook rice according to package directions.
  • Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with cooking spray and pour rice into casserole dish. Cover rice with 1 cup grated cheese and then layer on uncooked chicken pieces over the top of cheese. Sprinkle chicken with paprika and layer with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese.
  • Add broth (or water) to soup, mix, and spoon over top of the cheese.
  • Add the melted butter to stuffing mix and spread over the top of the casserole.
  • You can refrigerate overnight or cook immediately.
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.

Notes

Freezing Instructions:
Whole Recipe: Use a disposable pan OR line your dish with foil, grease, and assemble as directed. Freeze until solid and then lift the foil from the pan and wrap tightly with press & seal wrap or place in a large air tight freezer bag.
Half Recipe: Divide ingredients and assemble in two 8x8 inch pans (one disposable or lined with foil and sprayed).
Thawing: The day before you want to eat the casserole, place it back in the casserole dish and in the fridge. Cook as directed.
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Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food layered with flavorful rice, chicken, a cheesy sauce, and crispy stuffing.

Related topics:
Chicken

Comments

  1. Luna Regina says

    December 24, 2020 at 8:31 am

    Thanks, Melanie. Your casserole looks great.

    Reply
  2. Cynthia Monday says

    July 27, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    Can you freeze left overs after it’s been cooked???

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      July 28, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      I haven’t tried it but I think it would be fine.

      Reply
  3. Julie says

    July 26, 2020 at 7:24 am

    I know the recipe says 4 chicken breasts, but about how big should they be – approximately how many pounds of chicken? I can’t wait to try this recipe this week!!

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      July 28, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds.

      Reply
  4. Kristen says

    December 29, 2019 at 4:01 pm

    When my family and I need comfort food, this is the recipe I reach for! It is so unbelievably delicious, and it’s easy for me to have the ingredients on hand. It’s hard to stop eating it, but if there are leftovers they reheat beautifully! Do yourself a favor and make this right away. I’m making it for dinner tonight. 😁

    Reply
  5. Kit says

    March 18, 2019 at 9:59 pm

    This looks really tasty! We eat plain rice everyday and have not tried using it for casserole. I want to prepare this for my family, it looks easy and convenient to make as the ingredients are not hard to find and besides we eat rice anyway.

    Reply
  6. Raiko says

    February 19, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try this one out! I’m sure my partner’s going to love this! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Sue says

    January 16, 2019 at 2:49 pm

    I love this recipe! I surprised my husband with it when we had an at-home date night (in front of the fire and Christmas tree!) and he loved it too!!

    Now I’m looking for an Instant Pot version. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  8. Mona says

    December 3, 2018 at 6:29 pm

    Can we use ground chicken? I don’t like big chunks of chicken. What would the cook time be?

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      December 22, 2018 at 10:53 am

      I have never used ground chicken in a casserole dish like this but I would still cook it the same amount of time.You can always cut the chicken to whatever size you want.

      Reply
    • Judy Johnston says

      December 22, 2018 at 2:32 pm

      This is my very favorite chicken casserole of all times! I worried a bit the first time I made it using raw chicken as the recipe calls for; but It turned out fantastic. I cut chicken breast fillets into bite size pieces… basically the less than the size of a nickel. It cooks up beautifully. It Gets Rave reviews from friends and family and many requests for it again.
      Hint: Now Uncle Ben’s has a fast cook Wild Rice. Same exact thing, just takes less time. So, a great time saver!

      Reply
      • Melanie says

        December 27, 2018 at 2:28 pm

        I’m so happy to hear that Judy! It’s my favorite too. 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!

        Reply
  9. Sarah says

    November 20, 2018 at 9:59 am

    I came across this recipe to take to a Thanksgiving potluck!. It looks delicious! I actually decided to roast a few chicken breasts ahead of time, then shred it for the casserole. I added spicy pork sausage too for a little kick. All I had to do was assemble the casserole and cook it until the cheese melted. Oh my! Just delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  10. Judy says

    January 22, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    Not sure my comment got posted. This casserole is delicious!!!
    How to warm left overs? I had 1/2 of it left. Transferred to an 8×8 dish.
    Temp & time for cooked left overs? Thanks hanks!!

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 5, 2018 at 10:05 pm

      Judy, if it’s completely cooked you can microwave it or just bake it in the oven at 350 covered loosely for 15-20 minutes or until warmed throughout.

      Reply
      • Judy Johnston says

        February 6, 2018 at 10:51 am

        Well, I had not received your Email.. so I tried something on my own. Since I still wanted the crispy topping, I rememoved most of the topping that was on it, added a new layer of cheese, topped with a cup and a half of the herb stuffing mixed with 1/4 cup of melted butter. Warmed at 350 for about 20-25 minutes uncovered. It was just like the day I first baked it.

        Reply
  11. Bo says

    December 18, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    Hi, I am making this tomorrow. I got herb seasoned cubed stuffing. It’s a 12 0z bag. Is that what I’m supposed to use?

    Also on the back of the bag it says to add a lot of ingredients like onions, celery, etc. Am I supposed to add those and am I supposed to cook the stuffing before adding to casserole?

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      December 19, 2017 at 8:47 am

      Hey Bo! You use 3 cups of just what is in the bag. You’re just mixing the dried bread cubes with melted butter.

      Reply
  12. Shannon says

    November 7, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    Hi! Can I substitute regular cooked wild rice (rather than Uncle Ben’s)? If so how much do you think I’d need? Just trying to use what I have in my pantry. (:

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      November 13, 2017 at 7:32 am

      Shannon, The only problem is you won’t have the seasonings. The amount of rice is 3/4 cup. I haven’t tried this yet but this is what I’d do for seasonings- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 dried teaspoon parsley.

      Reply
  13. Kristi says

    August 9, 2017 at 6:27 pm

    Hi. The Uncle Ben’s rice I bought said Original Recipe and came with an herb seasoning packet. Does yours? You didn’t mention it so I was unsure.

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      August 11, 2017 at 7:33 am

      Yes! You make it with the herb seasoning packet according to the directions on the box.

      Reply
  14. Mona Patel says

    July 10, 2017 at 10:52 pm

    This was so good!!! I used cream of chicken & mushroom soup (they now have that!). I am wondering if I add in vegetables next time does it change the consistency? Maybe some broccoli, carrots and mushrooms.

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      July 14, 2017 at 9:14 pm

      Yum! I’ll have to try that flavor with it. And adding vegetables to it sounds delicious! I haven’t tried it but as long as it’s not too watery of a vegetable (like zucchini) then the consistency should remain the same. Let me know what you used and how it turned out.

      Reply
  15. Ashley says

    June 26, 2017 at 5:45 am

    Are you putting the chicken in raw or cooking it before hand?

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      July 20, 2017 at 9:10 pm

      You put the chicken in raw.

      Reply
  16. Brandi says

    May 30, 2017 at 11:23 am

    Does the chicken breast needed to be cooked first?

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      May 30, 2017 at 10:09 pm

      Nope! You put it in raw. So easy!

      Reply
  17. Amy says

    February 23, 2017 at 4:22 pm

    We absolutely loved this casserole! I made my own stuffing for the top and it turned out so yummy. Thank you for sharing, we will definitely be having this again.

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 24, 2017 at 7:12 pm

      Amy, Homemade stuffing on top sounds amazing! I’m totally trying that next time. So happy to hear you liked the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Tiffany says

    February 18, 2017 at 5:18 pm

    Are we making the stuffing completely or just adding melted butter to the hard uncooked stuffing mix?

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 18, 2017 at 10:12 pm

      Tiffany, You are must melting the butter, mixing it with the dry uncooked stuffing bread crumbs, and then pouring that on top.

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        February 18, 2017 at 10:13 pm

        Yes I read it wrong and thats what i did. Turned out great! Thank you!

        Reply
  19. Sheana says

    February 14, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    If you have cooked chicken already should the cook time be cut in half? Have you made it with cooked chicken? I have some shredded cooked chicken I wanted to use in a casserole 🙂

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 14, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      Sheana, I’ve never made it with cooked chicken but if you do you just need to cook it until the cheese melts and the stuffing is crispy enough for you. I’d cook it for 20 minutes and then turn the heat up to broil and cook for a couple minutes until the stuffing is browned and crispy.

      Reply
  20. Paige says

    February 10, 2017 at 6:13 pm

    Am I suppose to cover with foil??

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 13, 2017 at 11:05 am

      If it starts getting too browned towards the end of baking you can lay a piece on top (no tight). You don’t want to cook it covered or you won’t get that crispy top.

      Reply
  21. Kelly says

    February 9, 2017 at 7:14 am

    How long does it have to bake? The recipe says 60 minutes but above the recipe, where it states the prep time, it says cook time 1 hour 20 minutes.

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 13, 2017 at 11:04 am

      Hey Kelly! After assembled you bake for 60 minutes. The total cook time says 1 hour 20 minutes because it takes 20 minutes for the rice to cook and then 60 for the full casserole.

      Reply
      • denise gunnels says

        March 4, 2017 at 2:43 pm

        I thought the rice was already cooked. That’s what the instructions say.

        Reply
        • Melanie says

          March 6, 2017 at 4:38 pm

          The first step in the directions is to cook the rice. That takes 20 minutes. Then you assemble the casserole and put it in the oven. That takes 60 more minutes. All together, cooking time is 1 hour and 20 minutes.

          Reply
  22. Kelly says

    February 9, 2017 at 7:12 am

    How long do I need to bake it? The recipe says 60 minutes but above the recipe, where it lists prep time, it lists cook time as 1 hour 20 minutes. Thanks!

    Reply
  23. Liza Davis says

    February 6, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    Have you made this in multiple batches to have some in the freezer? Wondering how well this well hold up in the freezer.

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      February 7, 2017 at 10:23 pm

      This is how I freeze an extra casserole. Since we have a small family I divide it into two 8×8 inch pans and then once it’s frozen solid and I remove it from the pan and put it in a gallon size freezer zip-lock bag.

      Reply
      • Liza Davis says

        February 8, 2017 at 3:54 pm

        Wow…totally missed that in the blog part right above the recipe! Do you cook it before freezing it?

        Reply
        • Melanie says

          February 8, 2017 at 11:56 pm

          Liza, Nope. Just assemble and freeze. Place the frozen casserole in the fridge the day before so it can thaw and then cook as normal. 🙂

          Reply
  24. Bria says

    January 31, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    Making this tonight for my little family. Thank you for this recipe, it looks so very yummy. 💗

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      January 31, 2017 at 11:09 pm

      I hope you and you family enjoyed it, Bria!

      Reply
  25. Paige says

    December 30, 2016 at 11:23 pm

    This casserole looks amazing!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

    Reply
    • Melanie says

      January 2, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Thank Paige! It’s so so good. Creamy, filling, comforting, easy… everything a casserole should be!

      Reply

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