Party Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

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The 70s is the decade that I remember most vividly from my youth. It was a lovely time of backyards and barbecues, stay-home mothers who raised their children happily without being ostracized by society, bridge parties, ladies who lunch, and casseroles. Because my mother was a busy woman, she was also the casserole queen. This was one of my favorites back then, and I had such a hankering for it this week that I had to make it. In the process, I decided to give it a bit of an update by adding a jar of hearts of palm, and substituting insipid pimientos, for flavorful roasted red peppers. Wow! That took it right over the top.

This is an easy casserole to put together because all you do is dump the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, mix them together, and bake until hot and bubbly. The aroma is heavenly, and this delicious casserole serves a crowd. It can be easily turned into a vegetarian dish by leaving out the chicken. You can replace it with tofu if you like (frankly, that stuff tastes like caulk to me, but I don’t judge), or leave it out all together. Surprisingly, it is equally good cold. Consider serving leftovers for lunch, mounded on a bed of greens. You can also make it ahead, and bake it the next day, or put it together and freeze it to enjoy later. Here’s to the 70s!

Party Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

2 Melissa’s shallots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 14.8-oz. jar Melissa’s Hearts of Palm, ¼” sliced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 6-oz. box long grain and wild rice, cooked according to pkg. directions
½ c. diced Melissa’s roasted red peppers
1 t. kosher salt
1 14.5-oz. can cream of celery soup
1 14.5-oz can French style green beans, drained
1 c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted (reserve 1 T. For top)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 1½ -qt. casserole with Pam; set aside.

Place all ingredients (with the exception of the tablespoon of reserved slivered almonds, the ½ c. Parmesan cheese and paprika), into a large bowl and mix it together. Turn it out into your prepared casserole and top it with the almonds, cheese, and paprika. Place it in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is golden and it is bubbling around the sides.

 Serves 6.