Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 cups wild rice
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion – finely chopped
• 2 ribs celery ribs – finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot – finely chopped
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms – sliced
• 2 cloves garlic cloves – minced
• 1 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves – chopped
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• 1 cups Swiss cheese – shredded
• 1.25 teaspoons kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
• 0.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 0.5 cups slivered almonds
• fresh parsley – chopped (for serving)

Instructions

1. Rinse the wild rice under cold water. Combine the rice and 4 cups water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the grains split and are tender, 45–55 minutes. Drain any excess water and set aside.
2. While the rice cooks, bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium pot. Add the chicken thighs and poach at a bare simmer until just cooked through, 12–15 minutes (165°F internal). Transfer chicken to a board to cool slightly, reserve 2 cups poaching broth for the sauce, and shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. In a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the reserved 2 cups broth, then the milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–7 minutes.
5. Off the heat, stir in the shredded Swiss cheese until melted. Season the sauce with the kosher salt and black pepper.
6. Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the cooked wild rice and shredded chicken into the sauce until evenly coated.
7. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish and smooth the top. In a small bowl, combine the panko and slivered almonds. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the topping; toss to coat evenly.
8. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole and bake until bubbling at the edges and the top is golden, 20–25 minutes.
9. Let rest 10 minutes for the sauce to set. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm.