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When the air turns crisp, this is the weeknight casserole I crave—tender chicken, nutty wild rice, and caramelized fall veggies all baked together in one pan. Zero fuss, big cozy payoff.
It’s layered with herby flavor, brothy comfort, and that golden, toasty top you’ll want to crack into right away. Minimal prep, easy cleanup, and leftovers reheat beautifully.
I share a ton of recipes here on Half Baked Harvest, but I don’t often share more traditional, homey ones like this wild rice casserole. It’s odd because my family loves traditional food. Meaning lots of chicken and rice, tacos, and pasta… basically anything on the more bland side of the dinner spectrum. While I do share those types of recipes, normally I’ll put some kind of spin on them. I love flavor, nothing bland over here!
Today though, I am going the more classic route and loving it. This is cozy, healthy, filling, and all things delicious. It’s not a bland casserole in any way, just simple, feel good kind of food.
Okay, okay, and there’s maybe a good amount of cheese on top too…
What? Always got to have a little cheese.
I don’t know if you guys remember, but around this time last year I shared a cream of mushroom chicken and wild rice soup that my family and I loved. This casserole is sort of similar flavor wise, but just a lot less soupy and much heavier on the wild rice.
So just what inspired me to make this casserole? Well, like most of the more classic recipes I share with you guys, my mom inspired this one. She’s always loved chicken and wild rice casserole, but she grew up on the ones that are canned soup based. I wanted to create a version that was just as tasty, but a little healthier.
Fortunately, it was a pretty easy task and it turned out really delicious too.
Start off by cooking up some mushrooms, add some apples, wild rice, and chicken. Next stir in some broth and a splash of wine (you know, for good measure). Cover and simmer until the rice is tender. Then stir in some spinach, top with cheese, and bake until golden.
DONE.
Really doesn’t get much easier, and I love that this dish is an entire meal…carbs, protein, and veggies all together in one dish. This is truly a recipe made for busy nights.
Also, if you’re wondering about the addition of apples, I know it may seem a little odd, but it’s the perfect touch of sweetness for this extra savory recipe. Plus, I love the combo of apples and Gruyère cheese, so good.
Double also? if you wanted to add another layer of flavor, I would highly recommend topping the dish with thinly sliced prosciutto before baking. The salty flavors would be delicious with the apples, mushrooms, and rice.
FAQ:
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
Yes—thighs stay juicy and are very forgiving. Keep them on top of the rice so the skinless pieces don’t overcook; pull when they hit 165°F.
What if I only have a wild rice blend?
It’ll work, but expect a softer texture and slightly shorter cook. Check earlier and stop when the rice is tender with a little bite.
How do I know the casserole is done without overbaking?
Look for bubbling edges, rice that’s tender but not mushy, and chicken at 165°F. If grains are still firm, add a splash of hot broth and continue, covered.
Can I assemble this ahead for a holiday meal?
Yes—assemble up to a day ahead (hold delicate dairy). Before baking, add a splash of broth to rehydrate the rice and bake until hot and steamy.
One Pan Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup sweet onions, chopped
- sea salt
- pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 2 ounces wild mushrooms
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for serving
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup white wine or more chicken broth
- 2 cups wild rice
- 1/2-1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often until the onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, the cremini mushrooms and the wild mushrooms, cook another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are caramelized. Stir in the apples and thyme and cook another minute longer. 3. Pour in the 2 cups chicken broth and the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and chicken, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45-55 minutes or until the rice is cooked, if needed, add the remaining 1/2-1 cup broth if the rice feels a little hard still. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach. 4. Sprinkle the cheese over top the rice and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and serve with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Just made this tonight and it turned out great! I halved the recipe, but wish I had put in the full apple. Delicious and perfect for a chilly fall evening!
Thank you Alyssa!
Love this and will be making it tonight… however in the ingredient list you name spinach but then never say when to add…. after mushrooms?
You sure the spinach in after the rice is cooked. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I have made this twice and it is truly wonderful. A perfect comfort meal for when the cold winds are blowing outside.
Yes! I am really glad you like this recipe Patti! Thanks!
This is on the menu for later this week. Wild Rice is a really fun ingredient.
I hope you love this! Thank you!
Wha could I sub for the chicken to make this vegetarian? Sundried tomatoes? Celery? Something else?
Hi! You can leave the chicken out and then I would add in 1 cup broccoli AND 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, that sounds delicious! YUM! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe. Thank you! 🙂
The only problem with this recipe is that I would not want to share with 5 other people. I would want to eat it all myself!
Haha I am so glad you like this and I hope you enjoy it, thank you!!
Hi Tieghan, I made this over the weekend and it was really lovely! There was a small portion left over which my husband had for lunch the next day and it was just as good – so a great recipe for making extras! I am actually vegetarian so I made it with Quorn chicken pieces instead of real chicken. I am not sure if you have Quorn in America? It is a great substitute for meat, it is made from mycoprotein. Not sure what that is but it tastes nice! I use Quorn mince as well in things like spaghetti Bolognese. The flavours in this casserole were delicious – thank you!
Hi Liz! I am so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you!!
Do i cook the chicken before using it in the recipe?
HI! No need to cook the chicken first. Just follow the recipe as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this recipe! 🙂
Would suggest browning chicken, maybe with onions. My apples coked up and flavor was lost in rice. Maybe thicker slices or adding just before rice is done. Loved addition of Spinach. And cheese and browned prosciutto really topped off dish.
I am glad you liked this! Thanks!
This recipe was super yummy! I somehow overcooked the chicken and it ended up a little on the dry side, but the flavors were delicious and perfect for fall. Love that its all in one pan! So easy!
I am glad you still enjoyed this! Thanks Carla!
Love this for a cozy (and easy!) weeknight dinner!
Thank you!
Hi!
Wondering if this recipe would work in a slow cooker??
It looks great by the way?
Thanks
Matt
Hi! I am not sure about the times or how the rice would cook up, so I really cannot say. Sorry I could not be of more help. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this recipe! 🙂
hey there.
tried it in the slow cooker. basically did the recipe as listed and put it on low for 4 hours. worked pretty well i think:)
tasted great!
by the way, the photography on your site is awesome.
take care
matt
Thanks so much Matt! I am really glad this turned out great for you!
I really wanted to make this because I love so many of the flavors represented and I love one pot meals. I am wondering if it would be a success if I used jasmine rice and chopped chicken thighs versus breasts. I think it would have tasted more moist (in my opinion) with those subsitutions. But that is just my tastes. I think if you love wild rice, this will be a big hit in your house!
Hi! I think jasmine rice will be amazing and chopped thighs great too. Please let me know if you have any other questions. thank you! 🙂
I just made this for my family /
Husband and two kids three years old and one in the half. Everyone loved it. I am so glad I doubled the recipe so we have lunch and dinner tomorrow already to go!
That is amazing! Thank you Eve!
oh it tastes so good, but its been cooking for over an hr and the rice is still hard, added more chicken stock and i fear this will be a bomb, I used the same brown rice and wild combo , dont know what to do at this point
taste was good, took an hr and half for rice to cook, everything else was overdone, will make again but will cook the rice seperately in the stock and wine, put it all together and broil, love your recipes this is the only one that I had a problem with
I am so sorry you had trouble with this, but I am really glad it still turned out okay. Thank you!
Hi Debbie! Wild rice just takes a while to cook, but 1 hour should be the max. Did it ever get soft? Hoping so! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this recipe! thank you! 🙂