Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is the perfect comfort food! This easy chicken casserole features rice, tender chicken, and loads of vegetables in a creamy, cheesy sauce. This is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken.
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a hearty, delicious recipe that takes very little time to prepare! This recipe allows us to fill those carb cravings while also sneaking in our vegetables.
It is packed full of vegetables, making it a great healthy casserole, but it also has cheesy, creamy chicken and rice to make it a great comfort food. This is a great option if you’re looking for a quick, filling dish that is also healthy. Another bonus of this recipe as it is provides several servings and is a great option if you want some leftovers to get you through the rest of your busy week.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Chicken and Rice Ingredients
As always, here is a quick overview of the ingredients used in our Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole recipe. For the complete recipe, just scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Cooked Wild Rice Blend: you can use a seasoned version or an unseasoned blend like this.
- Cooked Chicken: Leftover chicken or slow cooker chicken is perfect for this recipe.
- Shredded Cheese: sharp cheddar pairs perfectly. Colby jack and gruyere also work well.
- Vegetables: frozen peas and carrots along with onion, bell pepper, and celery. The instructions state to sauté the vegetables prior to mixing, but this is an optional step based on your personal preference.
- Spices: Add salt and pepper to taste
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Cream of Chicken is a canned good that adds a creamy texture to the casserole.
- Sour cream: This ingredient also helps adds the perfect creamy texture. You can use full or reduced fat sour cream.
How to make Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
This recipe only requires a few quick and simple steps! In addition to the ingredients above, this recipe will require a large skillet, knife, spatula, 9×13 casserole dish, and a cutting board.
Saute the Onions, Pepper, and Celery
Sauté the onion, peppers, and celery in a skillet over medium heat until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
Combine the Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked rice, turkey, sautéed vegetables, peas and carrots. Mix in the cream of chicken, sour cream and half of the shredded cheese.
Add Ingredients to the Casserole Dish
Spoon the mixture into a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F until heated through.
Serving Suggestions
Allow to cool for a few minutes then it is ready to serve! This is truly a complete meal because it has protein, vegetables, and carbs all in one dish. However, if you’d like to fill this meal out a bit you can serve it with a classic salad or a few of these dishes:
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Green Beans Almondine (keto + low carb)
- Keto Cheddar Garlic Biscuits (Low Carb Red Lobster Biscuit Copycat)
- Asparagus and Tomato Panzanella Salad
- Crispy Green Bean Fries (Low carb + Air Fryer and Oven)
- Gouda and Jalapeno Twice Baked Potatoes
Tips & Tricks
- This is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken! You can also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a quick shortcut.
- You can change the flavor profile by using a different blend of cheese such as Swiss and Gruyere.
- While we love the flavor of wild rice this works quite well with other rice varieties. You can also use a boxed flavored rice mixture if you prefer. Just remember, this recipe uses already-cooked rice.
- This dish can be made up to two days in advance before baking, making it great for meal prep.
Storage and Reheating
- Store this casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Remember, it is important to use an airtight container, versus loosely covered with foil because the rice will dry out in the fridge.
- To reheat single servings place them on a microwave-safe plate and reheat in 30-second increments until warmed through.
- To reheat larger portions preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cover the casserole with foil and warm 20 minutes, remove the foil and warm an additional 10 minutes until the dish is heated through.
Can I Freeze Chicken Casserole?
- To Freeze Cooked Casserole: Freeze leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Freeze Uncooked Casserole: Prepare the dish according to the directions except for the final step of adding shredded cheese to the top. Place the casserole in a freezer-safe dish and freeze for up to three months. When ready to cook allow the dish to thaw overnight. Top with cheese and cook according to the directions.
Chicken Casserole FAQ
Yes, if you already have some leftover turkey on hand that would be a great option.
Yes, just ensure your Cream of Chicken is gluten-free. Some brands are gluten-free while others are not. Pacific Foods offers a gluten-free Cream of Chicken.
Absolutely, this dish works really well with a frozen mixed vegetable blend. If you are using vegetables with a high moisture continent such as zucchini be sure to saute it first (like the onions) to remove as much moisture as possible.
Other Great Casserole Dishes
- Keto Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Cauliflower Rice
- Keto Taco Casserole
- Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
- Bacon Cheeseburger Cabbage Casserole (low carb + keto)
- Instant Pot Sausage and Cabbage Casserole (keto + low carb)
- Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Taco Spaghetti Squash Casserole (keto + low carb)
- Keto Tuna Zoodle Casserole
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked wild rice blend
- 3 cups cooked chicken
- 1 cup peas and carrots thawed
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese divided
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sauté the onion, peppers and celery in a skillet over medium heat until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked rice, turkey, sautéed vegetables, peas and carrots. Mix in the cream of chicken, sour cream and half of the shredded cheese.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until heated through.
