Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Square overhead shot of a spoon in a white dish full of broccoli, chicken and wild rice casserole

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5 from 2 votes

Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

This easy chicken and wild rice casserole with broccoli is classic comfort food!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chicken and broccoli casserole, chicken and wild rice casserole, chicken wild rice casserole

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Servings people

Calories 396kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 (6 ounce) box Uncle Ben’s Original Recipe wild rice, cooked with the seasoning packet according to package instructions (about 3 cups total cooked wild rice)
1 (12.6 ounce) package frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted (or use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup)
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup grated sharp cheddar
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 30 crackers or 1 ½ cups crumbs)
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the chicken, cooked wild rice, thawed broccoli, condensed soup, chicken broth, sour cream, and mayonnaise to the large bowl with the onion and celery. Stir to combine. Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle grated cheese over top.
In a separate bowl, stir together Ritz cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes (or until hot, bubbly, and golden brown on top).

Notes

Use low-sodium chicken broth, homemade broth, or unsalted broth in this dish, since the mayo, wild rice mix, and condensed soup already include plenty of salt.
For a shortcut, swap out the box of wild rice and use microwaveable packets of Uncle Ben's wild rice instead (just make sure that you measure 3 cups of cooked wild rice from these packets).
For even more shortcuts, use store-bought rotisserie chicken and baby broccoli florets that you just have to thaw (no cooking or chopping).
Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don’t bake it for too long or it will dry out, the rice will get mushy, and the topping could burn. You know a casserole is done when the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is toasted and golden brown.
Garnish with fresh parsley, thyme, chives, or other herbs for a bright, colorful touch at the end.
Swap out the frozen broccoli florets for fresh broccoli or cauliflower florets. Cook the fresh vegetables in boiling water for 2 minutes (or steam in the microwave) until they’re crisp-tender before adding them to the dish.
Instead of cream of chicken soup, try a different flavor of condensed soup.
If you don't have Ritz crackers in your pantry, try a buttered panko breadcrumb topping, buttered Corn Flakes, or crushed potato chips.
Instead of the broccoli, add frozen peas, frozen mixed vegetables, corn, steamed green beans or asparagus, diced pimientos, or sautéed mushrooms to the casserole. Garlic would also be a nice addition -- just add it to the skillet with the celery and onion.
Stir slivered almonds into the filling for nice crunch.
Try other types of cheese instead of cheddar. Good options include Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Swiss, and American.
To serve a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan.

Nutrition