Mushroom Gruyere Chicken and Rice Casserole

5 from 33 votes

Mushroom Gruyere Chicken and Rice Casserole

This creamy mushroom Gruyere chicken and rice casserole combines tender chicken, mushrooms and rice in a rich cheesy sauce topped with crunchy slivered almonds.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Meals

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, chicken

Servings:

Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ stick
5 Cups chicken breasts about 3 chicken breasts, uncooked, cut into bite-size pieces
kosher salt
black pepper fresh ground
1 Cup red onion diced
2 ¼ Cups button mushrooms 8 Ounces, fresh, sliced
1 Cup celery about 2 stalks, diced
1 Can cream of mushroom soup 10.5 ounces
¾ Cup heavy cream
2 Teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
2 Cups gruyere cheese grated
2 Cups white rice cooked
1 ½ Cups chicken broth
½ Cup slivered almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Butter a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and set aside
Add the remaining butter to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and add cubed chicken once the butter starts to bubble.
Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly golden and nearly cooked through. It's okay if the centers are still slightly pink since the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl to reserve for later.
Add the diced onion to the remaining juices in the pot and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned and the liquid they release has evaporated.
Add the celery, undiluted cream of mushroom soup and heavy cream and stir until well combined and warmed through.
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the lemon juice, grated Gruyere and cooked rice until well combined and the cheese is melted.
Add the chicken, the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the chicken and rice mixture to the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the slivered almonds evenly over the top.
Place the casserole dish on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the almonds are golden brown and sauce is bubbling.
Let the casserole rest on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Add freshly ground black pepper before serving (optional).

Notes

Brown the mushrooms properly: Don't rush this step. Let the mushrooms release their liquid and keep cooking until that moisture has evaporated and they start to brown. This keeps the finished casserole from becoming watery and gives the mushrooms much better flavor.
Use cooked rice: The 2 Cups of rice in this recipe is measured after cooking. Leftover refrigerated rice is perfect and makes prep even easier.
Keep the lemon subtle: Two Teaspoons is enough to balance the rich cream and Gruyere without making the casserole taste lemony. Stir it in over gentle heat rather than letting the creamy mixture boil aggressively.
Don't fully cook the chicken at first: I only cook it until lightly golden and nearly done because it gets another 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. This helps keep the chicken tender.
Watch the almonds: The casserole is ready when the sauce is bubbling and the almonds are golden. If the almonds are browning too quickly before the casserole is hot, loosely cover the dish with foil.

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.