Soon after the monster cookies, I decided to turn to another next recipe by Martha Seibel, “Wild Rice & Chicken Casserole.” Wild rice is one of my favorite foods, but Luke is less enthusiastic. When our daughter was at preschool, her favorite meal was chicken wild rice casserole; in fact, it was the favorite meal of most of her preschool colleagues. After many inquiries, the director actually tracked down the recipe for the parents, who had to try to reduce the recipe from catering to residential size. Now, however, her tastes have apparently changed. I am the only one who ate any of this casserole, despite its tastiness. More for me, I guess!
This recipe, like “Monster Cookies,” makes some assumptions. We’re instructed to “cook and dice chicken,” before combining it with the rest of the ingredients, but the method of cooking is not specified. I wonder what Martha would have done. I decided to bake it, and the Food Network website helped me verify that boneless, skinless chicken breasts baked at 375 degrees would reach 165 degrees in 20 to 30 minutes: https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-long-to-cook-chicken-breast-in-the-oven0. I used a cast iron pan to sear the chicken very briefly, then transferred the pan to the oven, with a probe thermometer in the thickest breast. When the alarm went off, the chicken had reached 165 degrees, and I removed it from the oven to let it rest.
The recipe does not prescribe any seasoning for cooking the chicken, nor in the casserole mixture. The addition of salt and pepper may be assumed, but I do not know whether that is the case. I decided to use kosher salt, pepper, and garlic salt on the chicken, and later, in the mixture, I again added kosher salt and pepper.
While I was supposed to combine the cooked chicken with the rice, vegetable, and soup mixture, I couldn’t do it. I remained haunted by the overdone pork chops, and at this point in the process, I assumed that my fellow housemates would be eating with me and did not want to frighten them with dry chicken.
So I prepared the rice mixture separately. I already had wild rice on hand and decided to use it, in the spirit of using what was in the pantry. I also thought it was a bit more fun and Minnesota-y this way, given that the wild rice was harvested locally. However, this may have been a mistake in this particular recipe, as it did not have the seasoning included in a package of the prescribed Uncle Ben’s wild rice mix.
When mixed, I was surprised at the color; despite the brown and black color of wild rice, the mixture’s use of cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, water chestnuts, onion, and the quesadilla-blend shredded cheese that I already had meant that the mixture was whiter than I expected. It looked like a glorified rice salad I remember from potlucks attended in my youth. I imagine a more orange Cheddar cheese would have added some much-needed color.
This remained the case when it was finished baking, unfortunately. The top had a beautiful crust, but the inside was still pale. I positioned the chicken breasts on top, with the intention of serving one to each diner.
I ended up being the only one interested in trying it, and I did enjoy this meal. The chicken was juicy, the casserole was gooey, and the water chestnuts, crusty top, and slivered almonds added crunch. If I make this again, I would use a larger baking dish so there would be more surface area for more crust, season the mixture with salt and pepper prior to baking, and use only half a cup of sour cream rather than a full cup. I’m eager to compare it to the other chicken and rice dishes.
What I now think of as Martha Seibel’s signature recipe writing style is evident again. Readers are exhorted twice: “Slivered almonds may be used for topping!” and “Good for circle luncheon!” I definitely agree about the almonds (though I would toast them first), but I’m not qualified to comment on its suitability for circle luncheon. Actually, when the Baby asked us what “circle” was, neither Luke nor I knew exactly what went on at this gathering nor how to define it. We only knew that our grandmothers went and that it was a church organization. We told her we thought it was some sort of Bible study or women’s group—maybe both. Whatever they did at circle, I hope they enjoyed their wild rice and chicken!
This post is part of an ongoing series in which I make and reflect on recipes and the people who contributed them to the 1985 Oak Valley Lutheran Church compiled cookbook, The Joy of Sharing.
