Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is my favorite way to dress up a box of wild rice and some chicken when I’m in the mood for something truly comforting. It’s got that wonderful, creamy texture from the mushroom soup and a little surprise crunch from the almonds that just makes the whole dish. Between the savory rice and that golden, buttery Ritz cracker crust, it’s the kind of honest Southern cooking that brings everyone to the table in a hurry!
The Perfect Casserole Recipe For Any Time of Year
Christmas and New Year’s are behind us, and most folks are in the middle of winter, snuggling within their quilts and homes, cooking up stews and cobblers. Oh, I’m doing the cooking part, but not the rest of it; my mind is on other things. You see, as soon as January hits, I get to expecting spring.
There are so many variations on this casserole that you could throw a rock at the internet and hit fifty on any given day. This is mine, it’s pretty easy and awfully good. Modify it, play with it, make it your own. Just let me know what time it is served and try to have plenty of tea when I show up, please 🙂 Or Diet Dr. Pepper…Diet Dr. Pepper is always good, too! (Bonus points if it’s a Dirty Dr. Pepper)
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Long Grain and Wild Rice (with seasoning, such as Uncle Ben’s)
- Cream of Mushroom Soup (can use fat-free)
- French Style Green Beans
- Chicken
- Almonds
- Ritz crackers
- Butter
NOTE: You can also add a cup of sour cream to this, and it will be wonderful! This is completely optional, but I love it.
Step 1: Cook Your Chicken
Normally, I wouldn’t have used chicken tenders for this because they are a little more expensive. This is a great recipe to use cooked chicken leg quarters (deboned and shredded), leftover chicken, or a whole fryer (cooked, deboned, and shredded), but since I did have this chicken on hand and company was coming (did I mention I like to make this for company), that is what I used.
Step 2: Combine Your Ingredients
Dump chicken, cooked rice, green beans, cream soup, and almonds into a big old bowl. Give it all a stir until it is good and mixed.
Step 3: Top and Bake Your Casserole
Spray a baking dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon the casserole filling into the baking dish. Sprinkle crushed crackers all over the top, drizzle melted butter over the cracker crumb topping, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Now all that’s left to do is eat up!
Ingredients
- 1 box long grain and wild rice mix I use Uncle Ben's, which is currently 6oz
- 1 cup fresh shredded chicken
- 1 can cut green beans mine is 15 ounces
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup 10-ounce, fat-free is fine
- 1 teaspoon onion powder optional
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup Ritz crackers crushed
- 3 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
To make casserole
- Cook and cube or shred the chicken. Drain the beans. Cook the rice according to the package directions in a pot big enough to mix the casserole (no sense in dirtying up more dishes).1 cup fresh shredded chicken, 1 can cut green beans, 1 box long grain and wild rice mix
- Once the rice is cooked, stir in all other ingredients (except Ritz and butter) until well combined. Spoon into a pie plate or casserole dish.1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ cup sliced almonds
- Cover the top of the casserole with crushed Ritz crackers. Pour melted butter evenly over the Ritz.
- Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Serve warm.
What an INSULT to Wild Rice!! If you don’t know what wild rice is and/or have a REAL recipe for it, DON”T post one!!
South of the ‘ LINE’? ~ Stick to what you know ~ like ‘possum, grits, gravy, okra, beans,mint julips and ‘swee patata pia’!!
Anyone that wants a REAL WILD RICE dish, make sure it comes from someone from MINNESOTA, where it is grown, harvested, respected and appreciated!!!
You sound like you’d be a joy to live with.
Gratefully
Christy
How Ugly and Rude can one person be. I’m from the South and PROUD of it . I feel Sorry for an Ignorant person like this Christy !! I think this recipe is Amazing!! I just had dinner at Applebee”s I had cedar plank grilled chicken over wild rice with dried cranberries topped with diced celery and granny Smith apples drizzled with a reduction of some kind of lime or citrus sauce . It was only 580 calories and I’m telling you it inspired me to look for a similar recipe ,”Thus” here I am I found yours. No matter what Mr. Minnesota says I’m gonna try this and put some variousance on it . Maybe golden mushroom soup mix instead of cream of . Great Job Christy . You go Girl. By the way I’m a straight guy and PURE COUNTRY !! I’m praying for you Mr.Minnesota !!!
Jerry, you’re my favorite person this week. 🙂
I love the flower idea but what I have always wondered . What about if you need to mow the grass when the flowers are up? Do you just not mow until the flowers are gone? I don’t know if I could get my husband to wait.
You would more than likely MOW around them!! Or use a hand clipper!!
Where we live the buttercups bloom in February, before the grass sets to growing good again. By the time the grass is ready for the first mowing they’ve stopped blooming so we just mow them too. 🙂
This is really good with some sauteed bell pepper and onion and a bit of poultry seasoning and black pepper. Tastes a little like dressing then! Also, broccoli works well for the veggie! Love you more’n my luggage! Have a beautiful day!
GREAT ideas Lisa!!! Hope you have a beautiful day too!!
Thanks for the recipe! Next time I’ll toast the slivered almonds first, but I enjoyed it as written. : )
I am making this tonight but don’t have any Cream of Mushroom but I do have Golden Mushroom and Cream of Chicken with Herbs. Which one would you go with? Thanks!
Either one would work great Amy! I would probably use the Golden Mushroom if I got to choose but either seriously will work.
Thank you! I was hoping for the mushroom soup, I love mushrooms 🙂 I love your site and cookbook and have given several out for Christmas gifts the past 2 Christmases.
Oh and another thing, I don’t have slivered almonds just whole ones. Can I just chop those up? I tried slivering them and it didn’t work well.
Absolutely, I always like to make do with what I have on hand!
I tried this recipe tonight and it turned out just fine. Took it over to my mother-in-law’s house and baked it. We enjoyed it during the National BSC Championship game that Bama won. This recipe was also a winner with everyone in the house! Thanks Christy!
I am glad to hear that it was a hit with everyone!!!
If there are any vegetarians out there (or if you’re just looking to make this healthier), you can always substitute drained/rinsed canned white beans (cannellini or great northen) for the chicken. I may have given up meat, but I can’t resist a good casserole. This one sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the tip! I’m going to try that this week:)