Harvest Chicken Casserole Recipe

Why does it seem like we jump from summer heat to 6 days of autumn and then freeze to death in the winter months until March? I’ve lived in Chicago for almost 30 years so I should be used to it but I’d rather just complain and live in denial. So I’ll take anything that will give me a slice of autumn because it’s my favorite season!

Anyway, this Harvest Chicken Casserole is so good, gluten free and gives you all the fall vibes you’ve been desperately wanting. It’s one of those recipes that you don’t have to follow perfectly and can make it your own and throw it together quickly.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 lb shredded chicken (you can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself. No having to cook the chicken-it’s what I do-“wink”) or 2 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
• 6 cups cooked wild rice. Any brand you like-some have wheat ingredients so if you want to keep the recipe gluten free, choose a gluten free option.
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (but I always use extra because they’re just so dang good in there!)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 5 baking dish.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken. Cool and shred. If using an already-cooked rotisserie chicken, simply shred chicken and set to the side.
3. Cook the wild rice according to packaged instructions. Set to the side.
4. Heat the other tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, garlic, thyme, paprika, and cumin. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until softened.
5. Add half of the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and simmer on low, covered, for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the cooked rice to the baking dish. Stir in the chicken, cooked veggies and cranberries.
7. Top off with remaining chicken broth.
8. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until hot and serve immediately.

**Plan ahead tip: You can make the chicken or buy the rotisserie chicken and shred it ahead of time and just refrigerate it. Same goes for the rice. Cook it ahead of time and store in the fridge. You could do it the morning of or even the night before.

**A tip for leftovers: Mix it up by buying some gluten free buns (or regular buns) and make some Harvest Chicken Slider Sandwiches.