Wild Rice Chicken Casserole with vegetables is a healthy, filling meal! Make it and serve to guests, or prepare as a meal prep dinner for the week.
HELLO, casserole of my dreams!
For those times you’re looking for a hearty, filling, yet clean meal, this casserole is a perfect fit! Packed with veggies, wild rice, chicken and a creamy cream-less sauce, the meal is flavorful and creamy, AND great for feeding a crowd.
It’s just so palate-pleasing and belly-satisfying!
The way I see it, this casserole is marvelous for the chilly fall and winter months. Getting cozy on the couch with a pile of delicious casserole in your favorite bowl, wearing your favorite stay-at-home sweater with a mug of tea steeping on the coffee table and a great book?
This is my idea of a wildly vivacious evening 😀
While this casserole does require a substantial time investment, I pinky promise it is well worth it. Plus, most of the time is bake time, which means you can easily multi-task as it bakes.
How about we bake it up?
How to Make Wild Rice Chicken Casserole:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the wild rice, onion, chopped carrots, celery and broth to a large casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes.
A few minutes before the rice has finished cooking, add the coconut milk, butter, flour, sea salt and garlic powder to a small saucepan.
Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Whisk consistently until mixture has thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Once the veggies and rice have finished baking, remove the foil. Stir in the sauce and raw chopped chicken. Increase oven heat to 425 degrees F.
Place casserole back in the oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until casserole is bubbly and chicken is cooked through.
Top with chopped hazelnuts (optional) and chopped parsley.
Serve heaping portions and enjoy!
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add or swap out your favorite vegetables. Cauliflower, broccoli, and/or bell pepper would be great!
- Use brown rice instead of wild rice.
- Swap the butter for ghee or a non-dairy vegan butter spread to make the recipe completely dairy-free
- If you aren’t dairy-free, use 2 cups of whole milk instead of coconut milk
- If you have leftover chicken or turkey, toss ‘er in instead of using raw chicken
More Healthy Casserole Recipes:
- Tuna Rice Casserole
- Zucchini Herb Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Mushroom Bolognese Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Creamy Cauliflower Casserole
Get wild!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this Rice and Chicken Casserole recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 5 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 4 Tbsp butter, or ghee
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 lb chicken breasts, chopped
- 2/3 cup hazelnuts, optional
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the wild rice, onion, chopped carrots, celery and broth to a large casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- A few minutes before the rice has finished cooking, add the coconut milk, butter, flour, sea salt and garlic powder to a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Whisk consistently until mixture has thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Once the veggies and rice have finished baking, remove the foil. Stir in the sauce and raw chopped chicken. Increase oven heat to 425 degrees F. Place casserole back in the oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until casserole is bubbly and chicken is cooked through.
- Top with chopped hazelnuts (optional) and chopped parsley.
- Serve heaping portions and enjoy!
Carolyn T
Tuesday 19th of December 2023
This isn't a gluten-free recipe if it contains flour. Flour contains gluten. Either the recipe needs to be adjusted by using a different thickener, or you need to delete the gluten-free in the recipe (title). It's not always an easy swap out of the flour for a GF flour mixture, or to use cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
Carolyn T
Tuesday 19th of December 2023
My apologies - your recipe does say GF flour - I read the instructions rather than the ingredients. Sorry! But it looks like others have had difficulty with the sauce being too thin. I'm hesitant to try it because of that.
Sand2Sea
Wednesday 18th of October 2023
Ghee is clarified butter and NOT dairy free. It's lactose free
Julia
Thursday 19th of October 2023
Thanks a bunch for the input :)
Sylvie
Sunday 10th of September 2023
I'm confused, it says total time 1h but you have to cook the vegetables for 1h15 minutes
Debbie Sawchuk
Saturday 4th of March 2023
Made it today and after reading through the comments I just added a little more coconut milk in after pouring sauce onto rice and it’s perfect
Julia
Saturday 4th of March 2023
So happy it turned out well for you after adding more coconut milk, Debbie! xo
Tammy
Saturday 18th of December 2021
Recipe worked perfect and very tasty!
Julia
Saturday 18th of December 2021
So thrilled you like it, Tammy! Thanks so much for reporting back! xoxoxo :D