Casserole! That word is rarely spoken in our house because my husband hates them! And generally I don’t love them because they are always made with condensed soup-ick!!!! But, I do love the ease of making casseroles and the clean up after dinner. So, I have come up with a casserole that everyone will eat. It uses winter vegetables and a sauce that is very easy that makes this recipe creamy and rich. I call it Winter Chicken and Rice Casserole-original, right?, lol!

Another thing I like about the recipe is that once it is in the oven you can clean up the kitchen and then after dinner all you have to do is put the plates and cups in the dishwasher and you are done! There really is nothing worse than eating a delicious dinner only to have a kitchen to clean up after. So this makes a perfect weeknight dinner!

A couple tricks to make this even easier- pre-cut brussels sprouts, pre-sliced mushrooms, pre-cooked wild rice, pre-cut sweet potatoes. The grocery store has so many short cuts for cooks it may cost a bit more, but it will save you a lot of time and we are all needing more time on weeknights when the house is crazy.

Let me know your thoughts on this recipe!

Stefani

Winter Chicken and Rice Casserole

A creamy and rich casserole that uses all those wonderful winter vegetables!

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3), cubed
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 8.8 oz packages pre-cooked wild rice (about 6 cups)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
3/4 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13" baking dish.
In a large deep skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Season cubed chicken with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Saute for about 7-8 minutes or until cooked through. Removed cooked chicken to a large bowl and set aside.
Add remaining oil to skillet. Add onion, sweet potato, brussels sprouts, mushrooms and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 8 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Removed softened vegetables to bowl with chicken.
In skillet add butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat. Add flour to butter and whisk until flour is incorporated. Add wine and allow to cook for about 30 seconds until the alcohol is cooked out. Add Dijon mustard, broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
To the bowl with chicken and vegetables add sauce, rice, cranberries and almonds. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.