Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Casserole with a Flavorful Twist

 

Casseroles are the ultimate comfort food—easy, hearty, and perfect for feeding a crowd without much fuss. I recently experimented in the kitchen and came up with this creamy chicken wild rice casserole that turned out even better than I hoped. It's packed with tender chicken, nutty wild rice blend, crisp veggies, and a creamy sauce that ties everything together beautifully. The surprise stars? Fire-roasted red peppers for a subtle smoky sweetness and water chestnuts for that satisfying crunch.

What I love most about this dish is its versatility. It's a true one-dish meal with protein, starch, and veggies all in one. You can prep it ahead (assemble everything except the toppings, refrigerate overnight, then add the cheese and fried onions right before baking), making it ideal for busy weeknights, family dinners, or even a ladies' luncheon. It serves about 6 generous portions—plenty for a family or leftovers the next day.

The Montreal Chicken Seasoning adds a savory, herby kick (think garlic, onion, black pepper, and hints of herbs), while the sharp cheddar melts into gooey perfection and the French fried onions give an irresistible crispy topping.

Give it a try—you might just find your new go-to casserole!

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Casserole 

3 c. white & wild rice blend

3 c. cooked, cubed chicken breast meat

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 scallions (green onions), diced

½ c. chopped crimini mushrooms

⅓ c. chopped fresh parsley

⅔ c. chopped Melissa’s Fire Roasted Red Peppers, drained

1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 14.5-oz. can French-style green beans, drained

1 10.75-oz. can cream of celery soup

½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

½ c. sour cream

1¼ t. Montreal Chicken Seasoning

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 2.5–6 oz. can crispy fried onions

Cook the white & wild rice blend according to the package directions. Fluff and set aside to cool slightly. 

While the rice is cooking, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease a 2½-quart casserole dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, chopped celery, diced scallions, mushrooms, parsley, fire-roasted red peppers, water chestnuts, and drained green beans. Add the cream of celery soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, and black pepper. Stir everything together until well mixed and creamy.

Gently fold in the cooked rice until evenly distributed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the grated sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Finish with a generous layer of crispy fried onions.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly, the cheese is melted, and the onions are golden and crispy.  Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Tips

- Make-ahead: Assemble through step 6, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add cheese and onions just before baking (you may need to add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time if starting cold).

- Variations: Swap cream of celery for cream of chicken or mushroom if preferred. Add a dash more seasoning for extra flavor.

- Servings: 6 hearty portions.

 This casserole hit all the right notes—creamy, crunchy, savory, and satisfying. Let me know if you try it! 

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New Orleans-Style Gumbo

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Whether we realize it or not, a lot of what we do is dictated by others. Case in point, the late Mr. O-P did not care for Creole or Cajun dishes, ergo I never made them. Now that he is, sadly, gone, it does free me up to experiment with this cuisine. Considering the season, and considering my love for this type of food, I decided to make my first ever pot of gumbo. Before I embarked upon this journey, I read a lot about it, studied a lot of recipes, and used all of that knowledge to come up with this version. Personally, I thought it was wonderful, but the real taste test was taking it to a neighbor who loves this type of food and used to live in New Orleans. In a word, she said it was “fabulous,” and thus I can share it with you.

There are different schools of thought when it comes to rice. Some people add it to the gumbo, some people serve it on the side, and others consider such an addition blasphemous. You can do what you like. I found that adding rice makes for a very hearty meal with the need for little else. But, if you want the true taste of the gumbo, serve and enjoy it as it is. Either way, this recipe is a winner.

New Orleans-Style Gumbo

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

4 oz. bacon drippings

4 oz. all-purpose flour

1 c. coarsely chopped celery

4 large Melissa’s shallots, rough chopped

1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced

3 qts. beef stock

1 T. granulated sugar

½ - 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

½  teaspoon Cajun seasoning

4 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 14.5-oz. can petite stewed tomatoes

1 6-oz. can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons file powder

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

2 10-oz. packages frozen cut okra, thawed

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 pound lump crabmeat

3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons file powder

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Make a roux by placing the bacon drippings and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven. Whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 80 minutes, whisking every 20 minutes.

Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the finished roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer on top of the stove over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a stockpot bring the beef stock to a boil. Once boiling, whisk in the roux mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; stir in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

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If you prefer Jambalaya to Gumbo, try this easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya for a taste of New Orleans.

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Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Yesterday I told you about one of my favorite Melissa's products in the sun-dried tomato pesto. Today, as promised, is a recipe in which I used it. This is but one of many recipes in which I have substituted this pesto for either the basic dry, or packed in oil, sun dried tomatoes. I am all about speed when it comes to cooking, and think about it, isn't a tablespoon of this delicious pesto just plopped into the pan so much easier than trying to slice, dice, or mince the desiccated sun-dried tomatoes, or the slippery oily ones? Of course it is! Once you try this product you will never go back to sun-dried tomatoes again.

As I told you in this post, for whatever reason I bought a lot of shrimp. On the plus side, I've been trying a lot of new recipes using shrimp, and have enjoyed all of them. This one is no exception. Like most recipes using seafood, it cooks up very quickly, goes together easily, and is most satisfying. It's a simple meal in a bowl, with carbs in the pasta, a vegetable in the spinach, and the wonderful addition of seafood. Give this a try, and let me know what you think. And give the sun-dried tomato pesto a try as well, and let me know how happy you are to be recently converted.

Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Adapted from Café Delights

2 tablespoons butter

6 cloves finely diced garlic

1 pound shrimp, tails on or off

1 cup diced onion

½ cup white wine

1-2 Tablespoons Melissa’s Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

1¾ cups half and half

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups baby spinach leaves

⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (about one minute). Add shrimp and sauté 2 minutes on each side, until cooked through and pink. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Sauté onion in the butter remaining in the skillet. Pour in the white wine, bring to a low simmer, and allow to reduce slightly. Add pesto and sauté for 1-2 minutes to incorporate.

Reduce heat to medium-low heat, add the half and half and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce; stir in the Parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts and is incorporated

Add the shrimp back into the pan; sprinkle with the herbs and parsley, and stir through.

Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

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Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

I love it when my favorite restaurant dish can be perfectly and easily replicated at home. Now that I am no longer a ramen virgin (you can read about that here), I've been more inclined to use ramen noodles than rice. (And, if truth be told, I bought an eight-pack of noodle bowls that I'm trying to get rid of, but I digress.)

 
I love peanutty Thai dishes with a slight kick of heat. This one is the result of my having tried and taste-tested a lot of them, resulting in the perfect recipe for peanut Thai chicken, and, best of all it's made in the slow cooker. Few dishes are as easy as this one, and few yield the authenticity and taste. If you're a Thai food fan like I am, and love those peanut-laden dishes, you're really going to want to try this!

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, equal parts breasts and thighs
2/3 cups peanut butter
1 cup canned coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen Organic)
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves
Peanuts and cilantro for garnish

Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with Pam, and place chicken into crock.

In a medium bowl whisk together peanut butter, coconut milk, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, and basil. Combine well, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on the slow cooker, set it to low, and allow to cook about four hours. At the four hour point, remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Return chicken to crock along with the Thai basil leaves, stir to combine, and continue cooking for another half an hour.

Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with peanuts, cilantro, or scallions, whatever suits you.

 

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Easy One-Skillet Beef and Broccoli Ramen

I'm going to tell you something that could possibly shock you. I've never told this to anyone before, so get ready. Are you sitting down? Okay, here it is: Prior to making this dish, I had never had ramen before. I know, I know, it's hard to believe. Even during the lean college days (and I do miss those lean days, if you know what I mean) I'd never had ramen. Truth be told, those wiggly little noodles kinda scared me. So, when I stumbled upon this recipe for what looked to be a tasty Asian dish that used ramen, I figured it was time to give it a try.

I cannot say enough about this dish. First of all, ramen, where have you been all my life? Second, I liked it so much that, my guess is, I'm going to be kicking rice to the curb. This made such a big difference in this dish, making it seem so much more authentic than all of those dinners that I served with rice. I know that rice is far more traditional, but here the ramen seemed to be.

I really had no idea what I was doing when I made this dish, and didn't know that you could buy ramen noodles in a package, so I ended up buying little cups of noodles, throwing out the seasoning packet, and just using the noodles. Yeah, my number two son straightened me out on this. Well, you live and learn. What I have learned is that I'm going to be using these noodles again, and again.

This is a great dish. Very tasty, appealingly authentic, lots of fun to enjoy with a pair of chopsticks, and one that I think your family will really gobble up.

Easy One-Skillet Beef and Broccoli Ramen

Adapted from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

 3/4-pound sirloin or flank steak (I used sirloin)

Marinade:

1/4-cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 packages (3 ounces each) ramen noodles

4 cups broccoli florets

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Prepare dish:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup beef broth

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

¼ cup oyster sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon grated ginger

Salt and pepper

Green onions, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Thinly slice the steak, against the grain, into 1/4-inch thick strips and then into pieces two inches in length. Place the steak pieces in a large Ziploc bag.

To make marinade:

In a bowl, combine oil, garlic, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, pepper, salt, and parsley.  Whisk together and pour over steak in the bag. Seal and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour and preferably 6-8+ hours (no more than 12 hours). Flip the steak in the bag halfway through the marinating time.

Prepare ramen:

Boil a small pot of water and cook the ramen noodles for exactly 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Prepare dish:

Remove the flank steak and drain off any remaining marinade. Toss the steak to coat with the cornstarch.

Put 1 tablespoon oil into a large skillet set over high heat. Heat until the oil is shimmering. Cook beef in batches to avoid overcrowding, adding more oil, as needed. Cook without moving until the beef is seared, about 1-1/2 minutes. Continue cooking while stirring until the beef is lightly cooked but still pink in spots, about 30 seconds; transfer to a warm plate.

In the same skillet, add the beef broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, garlic, and ginger. Stir and cook (uncovered) over medium heat until sauce thickens and reduces by about a third (5-8 minutes). You don't want to reduce it too much so it can still generously coat all the noodles and broccoli.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, top the mixture evenly with the broccoli. (Do not stir in). Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the broccoli to steam until crisp/tender about 3 minutes or to desired tenderness.

Remove the lid; add the cooked ramen and meat. Stir together and serve garnished with desired toppings.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Soup

I don't know what it's like where you are, but here in the Mississippi Valley it is cold. When I woke up this morning it was 2°, the windows were frosty, and there was nothing I wanted more than to have a nice pot of soup simmering away in the Crockpot. I grabbed my recipe for beef stroganoff, deciding to adapt it for slow cooking so that it could cook all day long while I began frantically to clean, wrap gifts, finish writing cards, and otherwise involve myself in anxiety-inducing holiday preparations.

This is a stick-to-your-ribs, hardy, one-dish-meal bowl of soup. It works very well in the slow cooker, but can also be made on top of the stove, simmering until the beef is tender. It only gets better with age, so if you're looking for a make-ahead meal, this could be it. Make it either on the stove top or in the slow cooker, and then put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for 2 to 3 days easily, so you'll have it on hand whenever you need it. With all of the last-minute hustle and bustle, there's nothing I like better than having something in the fridge that can be warmed, enjoyed, and is oh, so satisfying.

  Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-pound beef sirloin, trimmed, sliced diagonally into strips

1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms

1 8-oz. pkg. Melissa's White Pearl Onions, blanched and peeled

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

5 cups beef stock

2 handfuls dried wide egg noodles

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Dried dill

 

In a 10” skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Place meat in a bowl, toss with steak seasoning until well coated. Empty bowl into skillet and stir fry until browned. Place meat in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top meat with mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Stir together tomato paste, Worcestershire, and beef stock. Pour over beef and vegetables. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. During the last half hour, add the noodles and parsley. In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream and flour. Whisk in 1 cup of the hot soup; pour mixture back into the pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Serve in pasta bowls and sprinkle with dill.

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