Wait, wait… okay, now you can dig in! The anticipation of all the yummy flavors from Eager Beaver Bake always seems to take the patience away from anyone on the receiving end. It’s understandable, for sure. But everyone knows this tender rice, succulent chicken flavor, and fresh veggie combo is worth the wait every single time! Get your plate and belly ready, Eager Beaver Bake can’t wait to make its appearance!
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild rice, uncooked
- 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed, for thinning
- 3 heads broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/2 cup butter, divided
- 1 whole medium onion, finely diced
- 1 pound white button or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 whole carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Directions
Step 1 –In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the rice and 5 cups of the broth to a boil.
Step 2 –Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
Step 3 –Cook the rice until it has just started to break open and is slightly tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Step 4 –While the rice is cooling, blanch the broccoli by placing the florets into boiling water until bright green and still slightly crisp, about 1 1/2-2 minutes.
Step 5 –Immediately drain the broccoli and plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Step 6 –Transfer the broccoli from the ice water and set aside.
Step 7 –Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
Step 8 –Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add the onions and the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid begins to evaporate, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 9 –Add the carrots and the celery to the veggie mixture and cook until the veggies are soft and the mixture begins to turn darker in color, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 10 –Sprinkle the veggies with the flour, stirring to incorporate, and cook until combined, about 1 minute.
Step 11 –Pour the remaining broth into the veggie mixture and stir to combine.
Step 12 –Bring the veggie mixture to a gentle boil and allow it to thicken, about 3 minutes.
Step 13 –Pour the heavy cream into the veggie mixture and stir to combine.
Step 14 –Let the veggie mixture cook until it has thickened.
Step 15 –Season the veggie mixture with the salt and the pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed.
Step 16 –Add 1/2 of the cooked rice to the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish.
Step 17 –Top the rice with 1/2 of the broccoli and ladle 1/2 of the veggie mixture on top.
Step 18 –Repeat the layers once, starting with the rice and ending with the remaining veggie mixture.
Step 19 –Using the microwave, melt the remaining butter.
Step 20 –In a separate bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs and pour the melted butter overtop.
Step 21 –Toss the breadcrumb mixture until it is thoroughly coated in the melted butter and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the bake.
Step 22 –Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 23 –Discard the foil from the dish and bake until the top is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
Step 24 –Serve.
