CHEESY WILD RICE CASSEROLE

Cheesy Wild Rice Casserole is a fantastic weeknight dinner recipe made with chicken, apples, bacon & wild rice. This chicken and wild rice casserole is made easy with simple ingredients & perfect for Fall.

This delicious and simple baked chicken and rice casserole is loaded with flavors and textures that are perfect for fall. Easy casserole is made with crisp cooked bacon, fluffy wild rice, tender chicken, and fresh apple. This tasty and comforting cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole recipe is one that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.

The BEST Cheesy Wild Rice Hot Dish Recipe

When life gets crazy and hectic, all you want is a warm meal without a lot of work. This casserole is the answer to your dinner time struggle. It is made by simply mixing scrumptious ingredients together in a dish and baking to perfection. If that does not sound easy enough, then I don’t know what does. The simplicity of the recipe and the speed at which it cooks are two reasons why I think this is the BEST wild rice casserole recipe we have ever had. Give it a try and see for yourself!

Baked Wild Rice Casserole Ingredients

-Wild rice: You will need a 6-ounce box of long grain wild rice, either original or fast cook will work perfect.

-Chicken broth: Use one 14.5-ounce can of chicken broth to give this casserole the moisture needed to cook the rice.

-Diced chicken: You will need 1 ½ cups of diced chicken so that there is plenty of tasty chicken in every bite. This equates to around 1 large chicken breast or 2 smaller sized breasts.

-Apple: Add in 1 diced apple for an added crunch and sweetness.

-Milk: You will need ¼ cup of milk to help add more moisture, flavor, and creaminess to the dish.

-Cheese: Use 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided between the filling and the topping.

-Bacon: For added flavor add in 3 strips of bacon that has been cooked and crumbled.

How to Make Cheesy Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

Prep

Spray an 8×8 cooking dish with non-stick spray, set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook your chicken of choice before you assemble your casserole. This recipe is great for using a store bought rotisserie chicken, it tastes amazing and cuts out a lot of the work. You can also put your chicken in a crockpot to cook during the day to speed this process up.

You also need to fry up the bacon, you can do it in the beginning or while the dish is baking. Cook and crumble it for the garnish.

Mix & Assemble Wild Rice Hot Dish

In the prepared baking dish, combine the Wild Rice & seasoning packet, chicken broth, cooked and diced chicken, diced apple, milk, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Stir gently.

Bake

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Then, remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Garnish

Next, top casserole with remaining ½ cup cheese and crumbled bacon.

Bake an additional 5 minutes.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Best Apples for Cooking

Often times cooking with apples requires firm, crisp apples like Fuji, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith. Remember that each apple varies in tartness! Granny Smith apples are most tart, whereas Fuji apples are very sweet. You can use softer apples such as Red Delicious or Golden Delicious, but you’ll drastically reduce the cooking time, or else your apples might turn to mush!

How long is cheesy chicken and rice casserole good for?

You can keep the leftovers from this dish stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or over the stove, maybe even sprinkle a little more cheese on it for a refresher.

What goes with creamy chicken and rice casserole?

Because this dish is a whole meal, you don’t really need a lot to go with it. It would be delightful served with BRAIDED GARDEN HERB BREAD or SOFT COUNTRY FRENCH BREAD. To boost your vegetable intake, you can also serve it with ORANGE GLAZED CARROTS or GARDEN VEGETABLE CAPRESE SALAD.

Can I freeze cheesy chicken and rice hot dish?

You sure can! This is a great recipe to freeze for use later, the ingredients will hold up well after being frozen and reheated. This is a great dish to meal plan with, you can freeze and use over the course of a couple weeks or months. Be sure to defrost and then reheat, that will help keep the moisture of the dish intact.

Check out these other delicious casserole recipes

• HASH BROWN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
• MAPLE PECAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
• CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
• TACO CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
• HOLIDAY HAM & CHEESE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
• TWICE BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE
• CHEESY POTATO CASSEROLE
• CHICKEN TORTILLA CHIP CASSEROLE
• CHEESY BAKED EGG CASSEROLE
• BUFFALO CHICKEN TATERTOT CASSEROLE

Packed with sweet and savory flavors, cheese, and wild rice, this cheesy wild rice casserole is a perfect dinner option for fall.