Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole (gluten free, dairy free, soy free)

I've been watching the food network a lot recently, and saw this recipe on the show Cooking for Real... It looked super tasty, so I decided to adapt it and make it gluten and dairy free and changed it up a bit.

 

One thing the original recipe had in it was mushrooms- my husband isn't a fan so I took them out and added spinach. If you want to add them, cook them down and add it, but I personally would keep the spinach- it makes a great addition and makes it much healthier :)  The other thing is that this recipe could very easily be made vegetarian- take the chicken out, add the mushrooms or maybe tofu if you're into soy.

To see the original recipe, click Here

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 TBSP sea salt
• 2 boneless, organic skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/3 cups wild rice
• 6 TBSP dairy free butter or coconut oil
• 6 TBSP coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1-2 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary leaves**
• 1/4 cup quinoa flakes, almond flour, or gluten free bread crumbs (I've used them all)
• Salt 
• 1 cup chopped organic carrots (2 large carrots)
• 2 cups frozen organic spinach
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1.5 cups Daiya Mozarella "cheese"
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9 x13" casserole dish.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes, depending on thickness of the chicken.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, dice into 1/2" cubes and reserve.


Return the water to a boil, add the wild rice, and cover. Cook over medium heat until the rice grains split, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander and set aside.


In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp of your oil/butter. When the butter is melted add the brown sugar, cranberries, rosemary, quinoa flakes/bread crumbs, and a pinch of salt. Stir until the coconut sugar is dissolved and the mixture is uniform. Transfer to the pot you cooked the rice in and set aside.

In the same large pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of your oil/butter. Add the spinach, onions, carrots, mushrooms (if you're using them) and a pinch of salt. Saute about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the cinnamon, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Add the Daiya cheese and mix to incorporate. Add the rice and chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, to taste, then transfer it to the prepared casserole dish.

Spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the top of the casserole and bake until golden and bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Enjoy!

**in the pictures i used dry rosemary, but that was only the first time i made it. since then i've been using the fresh and loving it much more! Pin It Now!