Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2–3 cups wild rice, cooked
• 1 cup goat milk
• 6 medium mushrooms, quartered
• 4 chicken thighs, chopped
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1½ cup kale, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup goat cheese, grated
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter or avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, create roux by whisking butter and arrowroot starch until it bubbles, about 2 minutes.
3. Add broth, whisking continuously to thicken for about 10 minutes.
4. Once the mixture is visibly thicker, add goat milk and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes, allowing to thicken a bit more.
5. Combine all ingredients except for goat cheese in a casserole dish, mixing thoroughly.
6. Top with goat cheese and bake for 40 minutes.

 

I think you’ll find that not only is this chicken and rice casserole recipe super tasty and comforting, it’s also energizing, filling and gentle on your stomach.

The week nights can get very busy, and we often find ourselves rushing to make dinner choices that are quick, easy and inexpensive. When you need to throw a bunch of ingredients in a pot and call it a day, there’s nothing better than slow cooker recipes and casseroles.

Unlike most casserole recipes that are made with refined carbohydrates and other processed ingredients that can be hard on your digestive system, my chicken and rice casserole is made with gluten-free wild rice, chicken thighs, mushrooms, kale and goat cheese. It’s also made with a tasty roux that’s made with arrowroot, one of my go-to gluten-free flours, and goat milk.

The Healthiest Rice Option

When you roam through the rice options at the grocery store, you may be a bit confused about all of the options. There’s white rice, brown rice, black rice, wild rice, jasmine rice — the list goes on. Do you need some help choosing the healthiest rice options for your home cooking? Well, I’ve got you covered.

One of the healthiest rice options out there is wild rice. Did you know that wild rice is actually a grass and not a grain? It’s a semi-aquatic grass that grows naturally in waterways throughout the United States. It’s completely gluten-free and rich in antioxidants.

Wild rice has a nutty flavor and texture, so it really adds depth to a recipe. Plus, you may notice that after eating a meal with wild rice, you feel energized, which is because of the magnesium content.

Aside from the wild rice in my chicken and rice casserole, some other ingredients that make this a healthy and filling dinner option are the goat milk, chicken broth and arrowroot flour that makes up the roux. You get a creamy texture and rich flavor, but this roux is easy on your digestive system.

Plus, the combination of mushrooms, kale, garlic and shallot gives this chicken and rice casserole a boost of vitamins and minerals that will support your immune system and help to reduce inflammation. Who knew a casserole can do so much for your health?

 

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