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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.
Terrific recipe! I had to sub in frozen chopped spinach for the fresh (thawed and squeezed 10 oz pkg.), so I added it a little sooner. Also, I didn’t have enough wild rice so I used black lentils. This recipe rocks bcs it stands up perfectly to adjustments for what’s in the pantry. Thank you very much for a recipe that had us fighting for the leftovers 😀
Hey Eileen,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!!
Delicious!! I divided it between 2 baked deep dish pie crusts before putting it into the oven!
Hey Katrina,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend! xT
Is the ‘wild rice’ in this recipe a mix of wild rice with long grain too? My wild rice is all black. Do I need to mix a white rice with it?
Hey Suzanne,
My wild rice was a blend from Lundberg, it was not all black:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Would this work with already cooked wild rice? I have so much of it.
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried that but I think that should be fine! I would probably just cook the chicken separately and serve it over the rice if it’s already cooked! xT
We loved this cozy autumn meal. It came together real quick. I did use a wild rice blend for cost and time savings. Loved the addition of the apples, mine held up to the cooking. Thank you for another winner
Thank you so much!!
What about using some of the water I’d soak the mushrooms in – in place of some of the broth?
That would be yummy! xT
So yummy! The addition of the apples threw me for a loop because I don’t go for sweet flavors much, but it didn’t make the dish sweet at all. It just enhanced everything. Highly recommend!
I seared boneless skinless chicken thighs first (because I prefer them to breast) then cooked everything according to directions, and added the thighs back in before covering to cook with the rice. Turned out great!
Thank you so so much for giving this recipe a try! Hope you’re having a lovely week! xT
I made this tonight and was surprised at how easy it was to make! Delicious! My husband said to put it in my dinner recipe rotation. We also discussed variations like ground beef, tofu, or spicy sausage instead of chicken and broccoli instead of spinach.
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Sorry for an obvious question, but do cook the chicken prior to adding it in step 2? Or does the simmering cook the raw chicken?
Hi Chase,
The chicken will cook in the dish:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xx
Thank you for this recipe. It was a hit and i felt that my family was getting a healthy, delicious and easy for me, hearty meal. The dogs went wild while it was cooking.
Although expensive, the Gruyere cheese was worth it.
Hey Glenn,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
Wow!!!! This recipe was incredibly delicious! 10/10 recommend!
Hi Kim,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
Can this be assembled and baked the next day? Or will it dry out?
Hey Diane,
Unfortunately, this would not be the best recipe for make ahead. So sorry! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This is really really good! Very tasty and the gruyere cheese is a must.
Hey Dana,
Happy Sunday! 🎃 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Made this tonight for dinner guests, everyone loved it!
Hey Kathleen,
Happy Sunday! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Can white or brown rice be used instead? I’m not familiar with wild rice and have a ton of white/brown. Thanks!
Hi Amanda,
Sure, I think brown rice should work well for you here! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan