Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken and wild rice casserole is part of my series on Bags to Dishes meals. For Bags to Dishes meals, all ingredients are shelf-stable so that is an even bigger plus. Assemble the ingredients for a few months’ worth of these casseroles if you have a hankering, and know that the bag will be ready to grab whenever you need it. My family gobbles this one up and everyone wants seconds so if we’re all here, I usually make double. 

Be sure to read the original post to find out how you can convert your own meals into shelf-stable ones in order to have your family’s favorite recipes available with the grab of a bag and never have to worry about what’s for supper again! Also, check out my other Bags to Dishes meals by clicking here.

Now, let’s talk about this chicken and wild rice casserole! It only takes 5 ingredients to make this simple yet delicious weeknight meal. With chicken, rice, cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and almonds, this wild rice casserole is creamy and hearty comfort food at its best. I also have a slow cooker version of this dish, if that’s more your style.

Here is what our bag meal looks like when we grab it. 

Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken
• Long grain and wild rice blend (Watch for a sale on this and then stock up!)
• Cream of mushroom soup (A recipe for my homemade version can be found here)
• Cut green beans
• Sliced almonds

 

How To Make Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole

Cook the rice according to package directions.

Drain chicken and green bean cans. Stir everything together.

Spoon it into a pie plate or casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Now that you’ve worked up all that exhaustion, sit down and eat.

Make sure you assemble a few extra meals of this chicken and wild rice recipe when you go to make your Bags to Dishes meals! It is just that good.

You can leave the chicken pieces out and serve this as a side dish as well or use two bag meals of this and add some warm rolls for a larger family meal.

Here are all my other Bags To Dishes recipes.

Storage

• Store chicken casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave.
• You can also store wild rice casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

• You can leave the almonds out if you want or you can substitute them for water chestnuts if you like. You could also substitute french fried onions for these, that would be good, too!
• While you easily adapt this wild rice casserole and use your favorite rice or rice blend (which might be white rice or brown rice), I recommend using wild rice for its distinct nutty flavor.
• If you’re not serving this chicken wild rice casserole as a shelf-stable meal, feel free to add more vegetables. Increase the mushroom flavor with sliced mushrooms or you could even add a can of sliced carrots. Another option is frozen vegetables, like a cup of peas and carrots.
• When it comes to the canned soup, feel free to substitute the cream of mushroom soup for either cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup.
• You could also add a cup of shredded cheese (or a mixture of cheddar and parmesan cheese) on top of your chicken casserole if you prefer your casseroles to be both creamy and cheesy. 
• Another option, if this isn’t a shelf-stable meal, is to substitute the can of chicken for your favorite, whether that’s chopped chicken thighs or chicken breast, or shredded rotisserie chicken. You’ll just have to cook the chicken before adding it to the casserole.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this chicken wild rice casserole in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the chicken casserole up to 24 hours ahead of time. Simply cover with foil and refrigerate until it’s time to bake. Just remember that a refrigerated casserole might take longer to cook through. Another option is to bake the casserole, store the dish covered in the fridge, and then simply reheat quickly in the microwave or oven.

What do you serve with this casserole?

I recommend serving this chicken wild rice casserole with some roasted vegetables or a fresh salad. Another option is to do a side of zucchini and squash.

You may also enjoy these other chicken and rice recipes:

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole

Chicken Fried Rice Easy Peasy

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken & Rice

Chicken Teriyaki with Brown Rice Fresh & Fast

Chicken Fried Brown Rice

Simply Delicious Chicken & Rice Soup

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”

~Wayne Dyer