Chicken, Broccoli & WIld Rice Casserole with Homemade Sauce

Source: Appleton Post Crescent

This uses a basic white sauce that replaces condensed soups like cream of mushroom or cream of chicken.

Ingredients

4 c. cooked (1 cup dry) wild rice blend (I used KCs brown & wild rice)
3 c. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
3 c. blanched broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbls. butter
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. yellow onion, finely chopped
1/ 2 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Homemade Sauce

4 Tbls. butter
1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose white flour
1-1/2 c. chicken stock (Kitchen Basics)
1 c. milk
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt, plus more to taste
1 c. gruyere cheese, shredded

Almond Breadcrumb Topping

3/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
1/3 c. sliced almonds (slivered works too)
2 Tbls. melted butter
1/4 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 t. lemon zest

Instructions

Precook chicken and rice. You can make ahead and refrigerate until needed.

Blanch broccoli in salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until bright green. Place in ice cold water to cool. Drain well.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown mushrooms; then add onion and thyme. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

HOMEMADE SAUCE: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minutes. Gradually whisk in stock and milk, followed by Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup gruyere cheese until melted. Set aside or cool and refrigerate if making ahead of time.

ALMOND BREADCRUMB TOPPING: Combine panko, almonds, melted butter, 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, lemon zest and salt. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE: Combine rice, chicken, broccoli and mushroom mixture with the sauce. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle topping over casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes (longer if chicken, rice and sauce were made ahead and refrigerated) until hot and bubbling with a golden topping. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

NOTE:

If casserole seems too thick, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 c. additional chicken stock.

Swiss cheese can be substituted for Gruyere cheese.