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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.
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it! It was so delicious. I followed some advice from others and did a little less rice and a little less broth and it worked perfectly. I also threw in carrots and broccoli and YUM! Thank you!
Amazing! Thank you for trying this Annie! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you Bonnie! xTieghan
Any suggestions if I wanted to use orzo instead ?
Hey Sammy! You need to cook the dish for much less time. If you use and equal amount of orzo, I would recommend cooking 20-25 minutes. I am sure that will be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
HOW WELL DOES THIS FREEZE? MAYBE WITHOUT THE CHEESE?
Hey Jane,
I have not tried freezing this recipe, but it should be okay. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Don’t use straight wild rice- a blend would have been better. Was very bland- flavors were overpowered by wild rice. Rice took way longer to cook than recipe indicates which led to very dry chicken. Spinach cake out bitter.
Hi Jess! I am really sorry about that. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
I didn’t see that you used a blend of wild rice, so my dinner came out purple ? Still tastes good though! I think next time I’m going to cut the rice down by half; it was a bit too much rice for me. And I think maybe I’ll add a can of cream of chicken instead of the full 2 cups of stock. I thought it needed a little extra creaminess. I love the base though! Super flavorful and perfect for kicking off fall! Love everything you do Tieghan!
Haha that is so great! I am really glad this still turned out well for you, Kaley! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
This just didn’t work for me. I kept adding stock but it was dry and flavorless. But I love most of your other recipes and own your cookbook!
Hi Patti! I am really sorry to hear that! Is there anything that could have been changed while making this? I would love to help! I hope you continue to enjoy my other recipes! xTieghan
I made this earlier today and it is fantastic. I made it in the slow cooker, just threw everything in raw and uncooked, put the crockpot on high for 3 hours, and then transferred it to an oven safe skillet to do the topping. I only added some panko and melted butter on top with the cheese, and I didn’t have gruyere so I used fontina, but I’m happy to find this recipe is not only very good but also very versatile! I made a pot of collards, a romaine salad, and a loaf of bread for the sides. A big hit.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Jenny!! xTieghan
Can this dish be frozen? We really liked it but it’s just the two of us and I want to freeze for a good meal later
Hi Sue,
Freezing should work! So glad you have been enjoying the recipe! xTieghan
The whole family lived this meal! The Apple and the gruyere added especially delicious flavors.
I love to hear that! Thank you for trying this one Patti! xTieghan
Made this recipe exactly as written and it was so delicious! Perfect for a winter night.
That is so great! Thank you Leslie! xTieghan
Can I double this recipe?
Hi Nicole! If you use 2 pans the recipe can easily be doubled. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
This was delicious! I didn’t have quite enough cheese, would remedy that next time. My son (6) kept saying how delicious it was at dinner. He talked about how the chicken was “chewy” (I think he meant juicy) and how he liked the wild rice. Definitely will make again! Thanks!
That is so great! Thank you so much for trying this Deborah! xTieghan
Instructions simply say add mushrooms. Do I slice or leave whole? I suspect I should probably slice first but asking for clarification, since the list of ingredients doesn’t stipulate. I’m using only cremini. Thanks!
Hey Ann! You should use sliced mushrooms. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Is the chicken pre. Cooked before putting it in the pan with the chicken broth and wine?
Looks delish
Hi there! The chicken is raw and not pre-cooked. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??