Wild Rice And Chicken Casserole

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My preferred lunch is a nice sandwich. I ln’t use just plain sandwich bread, I like to get the freshly baked bread from the bakery when I go to Kroger. We always have some roast beef, turkey, and cheese ready to make a sandwich. I also add some lettuce and my secret mayonnaise. (It’s just equal parts of mayo and Italian dressing.

When I was shopping last week, I noticed California Goldminer Sourdough Bread sandwich loaf. It is a nice, big loaf with a few flavors to pick from. I love this sandwich loaf because it is baked fresh every day in the Kroger bakery! It’s fresher and tastes better!

Every week we run out of cold cuts before we use up all the bread, so I have a few recipes that use up the last of the bread so I can enjoy every single piece of bread!

This is such a filling casserole. Don’t let all the ingredients scare you. Just get everything on the counter and it’s easy to throw together. The California Goldminer Sourdough Bread on top gives it a nice crunch! (Click here for the printable recipe.)

 

Wild Rice And Chicken Casserole

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 8-ounce package of sliced fresh baby portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 – 4.2 oz boxes of fast cooking long grain and wild rice*
• 1 12.6-ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 8-ounce package mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 slices of California Goldminer Sourdough Bread, cubed
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 4.25-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

• In a very large frying pan, (I used my 5-Quart saute pan.) melt the 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
• Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, for approximately 6-8 minutes or until it is cooked completely. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.

• Add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until just tender.
• Add the cooking wine and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

• Then sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. (This will thicken it up.)
• Gradually add the milk, chicken broth, and rice,  stirring constantly, until the mixture is creamy and there are no lumps.
• Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Fold in the broccoli, cheeses, and sour cream. (This is why you need a large frying pan.) Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

• Mix together the bread cubes and 3 Tablespoons of melted butter and put them on top of the casserole.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

*You can use the packed rice and omit the seasoning packets or just use about 1 cup of uncooked, fast cooking wild rice.

 

What’s your favorite recipe to use up leftover bread?