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Meal prep meets comfort food! Silky sauce, nutty wild rice, and tender chicken bake into a bubbly, family pleasing casserole. Prep it on Sunday, devour it on a busy weeknight.
This yummy casserole gives you the best of both worlds - meal prep convenience and a fresh, made from scratch meal. You prep the components in advance, then put it all together on the night you serve it and heat it in the oven until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
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What to Eat with Creamy chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
This recipe + red and green Christmas fruit salad + chocolate no bake cookies = colorful, nutritious winter meal that's full of healthy fiber and anti-oxidants.
This recipe + chocolate nut clusters + salad bar = easy to make, healthy choices to take to a potluck or party.
This recipe + rainbow fruit salad fruit cups = a make ahead meal that you can look forward to even when you're away from home on a busy day.
Notes from Kristie's Kitchen
Background about how this recipe got created, or other good info showing EEAT.
- 🥘 Makes: a 9x9 inch casserole that serves 4-6 people.
- ⏰ Prep time/actual time spent in kitchen: less than an hour of prep time (whenever its convenient for you), then on the night you serve it only about 45 minutes of hands-off time in the oven and then you eat!
- 💪 This casserole is not only delicious and creamy, it's full of fiber and high in protein. Scroll down to the recipe card to see the impressive nutrition stats!
Here's What You Need
I always like to show a picture of everything plus a little description. It helps when you really need to know at a glance if you can make this for dinner tonight. Scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients and instructions.
- 3 cups of cooked rice: For this recipe I used a brown rice and wild rice blend. I have also used a combination of white rice with wild rice, and even low carb half calorie rice when I have some leftovers. I always combine it with wild rice though, because I love that earthy, nutty flavor.
- 1 can of gluten free cream of mushroom soup: If you don't need to eat gluten free, of course you can just use regular cream of mushroom soup.
- 1 cup of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt: This adds extra protein and richness that is just perfect in this casserole.
- Dijon mustard: Don't use yellow mustard here, dijon is the flavor that perfectly enhances the vegetables, wild rice, chicken, and cheese.
- Carrots and broccoli: Fresh raw vegetables are what I use. Frozen just might work but I haven't tried it yet.
- 3 cups of cooked, chopped chicken breast: the absolute easiest way to prepare this is by using my Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast method. But you can use canned chicken, or even rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- Cheese: I use 2 kinds of cheese here - mozzarella for creaminess, and parmesan for the tangy bite that goes so well with the dijon, mushrooms, and other flavors.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
The secret to the success of this meal is simple. Prepare a few ingredients ahead of time and keep them in the fridge. And then you can come back here when you're ready to make it for dinner and just follow the step by step pictures to save even more time.
Or, you can assemble the whole casserole, cover it with foil, and chill it in the fridge for day or two until you're ready to bake it. It's super versatile!
First, Some Simple Meal Prep
Step 1. Make a batch of Instant Pot chicken Breast, use canned chicken, or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that. (psst - the instant pot chicken is actually less work than rotisserie)
Step 2. In a microwave safe container, add the carrots and broccoli and cover with water. Cook on high for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and set aside. If you don't parboil these vegetables, the rice and chicken will get overcooked and dry before the vegetables are even done.
Step 3. Cook some brown and wild rice blend. You can do this in an instant pot using the manual setting for 20 minutes. You can also cook the rice on the stove in boiling water for about 45-50 minutes. Please note: brown rice and wild rice take longer to cook than white rice.
How to Make the Casserole
Step 1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream soup, dijon mustard, and Greek yogurt.
Step 2. Add the rice, chicken, and vegetables. Mix to combine all the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3. Add to a buttered 9 x 9 inch casserole dish. Top with mozzarella and parmesan.
Step 4. Cover with foil and bake at 375℉ for 45 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes or a little more to get the top nicely browned and bubbly.
Gluten Free Cream Soup - Which Brand is Best?
The cream of mushroom soup in this casserole is an important ingredient. But if you have gluten sensitivity, how do you know which brand to choose?
I did some tests on the three brands of gluten free cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups that were widely available in stores near me to find out. See which one is right for you in this post: Best Gluten Free Cream of Chicken/Mushroom Soup Brands.
Gluten Free Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Meal prep meets comfort food! Silky sauce, nutty wild rice, and tender chicken bake into a bubbly, family pleasing casserole. Prep it on Sunday, devour it on a busy weeknight.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice - wild and brown rice blend, or a combo of white and wild rice
- 1 can gluten free cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
- 3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded or from a jar
Instructions
- In a microwave safe container, add the carrots and broccoli and cover with water. Cook on high for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cream soup, dijon mustard, and Greek yogurt.
- Add the rice, chicken, and vegetables. Mix to combine all the ingredients.
- Add to a buttered 9 x 9 inch casserole dish. Top with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375℉ for 45 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes or a little more to get the top nicely browned and bubbly.
Notes
Where to buy gluten free cream of mushroom soup: read my post Best Gluten Free Cream of Chicken/Mushroom Soup Brands.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 492.4 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 33.6 g
- Cholesterol: 88.2 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, wild rice is gluten free. But when you're looking at types of wild rice blends (which are usually a combination of red, brown, or black wild rice types) - read the labels to make sure the blend does not contain anything that might have gluten in it. Watch for barley, wheat berries, or wheat kernels - all of those are gluten containing grains. Stick with just rice varieties and you'll be fine.
One cup of wild rice blend contains 10 grams of fiber!
Yes because it contains all 9 essential amino acids. With 4-6 grams of protein per cup, it is higher in protein than white or brown rice.
I do not recommend freezing this casserole. It turns out okay, but it's not as creamy when it's been frozen and reheated. Better to store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat as needed.
One serving of this gluten free casserole contains a whopping 33 grams of protein! And only 7.5 grams of net carbs!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover chicken and wild rice casserole is extra good once it's been chilling in the fridge for a day or so. Keep it in an airtight container with a lid to prevent it from drying out.
Heat in the microwave on high power for 1 ½ minutes for a 1-2 cup serving. Stir and heat again for 30 seconds or so if there are any cold spots.
You can also add some of this casserole to an oven safe dish and heat it in an air fryer so the cheese can get browned and bubbly. You might want to stir in a few spoonfuls of chicken broth or milk to bring back the creamy texture again, since the air fryer tends to dry it out.
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