Admittedly, this is one of the best bakes I've made, and Scott concurs. In fact, he actually said after the first bite, "This is really good!" I couldn't help but let the smile spread across my face.
Our weather is starting to feel more like fall. FINALLY. And this dish just feels fall-ish. It's comfort food, plain and simple.
Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Bake
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
2 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
2 cups steamed white rice
16 oz prepared wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's Whole Grain and Wild Rice - it's in the little microwaveable pouches), DO NOT COOK RICE ACCORDING TO PACKAGE INSTRUCTIONS
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cheese sauce:
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
Saute onion, celery, and onion until softened, approximately 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
Add chicken, steamed rice and wild rice, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
Reduce heat to low, cover.
Meanwhile, prepare cheese sauce:
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper.
Slowly pour in chicken broth, whisking continuously.
Whisk until thick, and nearly boiling; stir in 2 cups cheese until melted.
Pour cheese sauce over rice mixture and mix well.
Transfer rice and cheese mix to a 9x13 baking dish.
Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese has melted through.
P.S. Another perk of this lovely dish, it FREEZES! Though I didn't need to freeze the dish this time around, it's in the freezer line-up!
Enjoy!
Source: Picky Palate
This looks and sounds really good!
ReplyDeletePS..awesome pic with the blurring in the background!
Awesome! Yes, that last pic is great. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete