Adding whole grains to your diet is a wise and tasty choice. Wild rice adds a nice texture to this chicken casserole too.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 

Adding whole grains to your diet is a wise and tasty choice. Wild rice adds a nice texture to this chicken casserole too.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups cooked wild rice
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons shallots minced
  • 1 pound mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 cups chicken breasts cooked and cubed
  • 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy saucepan melt 3½ tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat. Add flour and cook, whisking for 3 minutes. Add broth, bring mixture to a boil, and simmer, whisking occasionally for 15 minutes. While sauce is simmering, in a skillet cook shallots and mushrooms in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add mushroom mixture to sauce and stir in cream, nutmeg, lemon juice, chicken, cranberries or cherries, rice, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish and bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover, bake casserole for additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Garnish casserole with additional cherries or cranberries.

Photo by Jodi Miller

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