Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 Recipe from a Seasoned Mom- this was very popular when we lived in Minnesota. It was fabulous especially on a cold winters day! I used a couple of chicken breasts and did not use the French Fried onions.

• ¼ cup butter
• 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
• 3 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
• 3 cups cooked rice (white rice, brown rice, or wild rice will all work well)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• ½ cup milk (or sub with chicken broth or water)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (or 1 teaspoon dried chives)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE TOPPING

• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 31 crackers total)
• 1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and celery; sauté until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl.
• To the same bowl with the vegetables, add the chicken, rice, soup, milk, sour cream, chives, parsley, and thyme. Stir gently until completely combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish

• In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers and French-fried onions. Add the melted butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

BAKE THE CASSEROLE

• Cover the casserole and bake until the filling is hot and bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the topping is lightly toasted. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.