When the weather is nice and chilly, nothing beats a hearty, savory, casserole to warm you right up. Autumn Chicken & Rice Casserole definitely brings the satisfaction, the flavor, and the cozy! You’ll be feeling nice and full and ready for a long winter’s nap after eating this juicy chicken, tender rice, sweet apple, caramelized mushrooms, and melty cheese mix. Mingle around the fire and relax; Autumn Chicken & Rice Casserole is about to make you feel really comfy!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- kosher salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 2 ounces wild mushrooms
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, plus more for serving, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1/2 cup white wine or more chicken broth
- 2 cups wild rice
- 1/2-1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and warm the olive oil.
Step 3 –Add the onion to the butter mixture and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 5-6 minutes.
Step 4 –Season the onion mixture with the salt and the pepper.
Step 5 –Add the garlic, the cremini mushrooms, and the wild mushrooms to the onion mixture and cook until they are caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Step 6 –Stir the apples and the thyme into the mushroom mixture and cook, about 1 minute.
Step 7 –Pour 2 cups of the chicken broth and the wine into the mushroom mixture and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 8 –Stir the rice and the chicken into the broth mixture, cover and reduce the heat to low.
Step 9 –Simmer the chicken mixture until the rice is cooked, about 45-55 minutes. If the rice feels too hard, add the remaining 1/2-1 cup of the chicken broth, as needed.
Step 10 –Transfer the chicken mixture from the heat and stir in the spinach.
Step 11 –Sprinkle the chicken mixture with the cheese.
Step 12 –Bake until the cheese has melted, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 13 –Serve with the thyme.
