Wild Rice Hotdish
Chicken, wild rice blend, celery and mushroom soup baked in one dish with a crisp topping. Six servings in 1 hour 15 minutes.
Don't Make These Mistakes
Whisk the soup smooth with the liquids before adding the rice.
If the rice is still firm after the foil comes off, add a splash of hot stock and return the foil for 10 minutes.
Use a tight foil seal so the steam stays in.
Cooking Wild Rice Hotdish
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C / 340°F fan). Brown the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the onion and celery and cook for 4 minutes.
-
Whisk the soup, stock, milk and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the rice and the chicken mixture.
-
Tip into a 3 litre baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
-
Mix the crumbs with the melted butter, scatter over the top and bake uncovered for 15 minutes until golden and the rice is tender.
Why the Method Works
A hotdish is a one-dish dinner, and this one is built for the first cold week: chicken, rice, celery and a creamy sauce, baked until the top is crisp.
A wild rice blend is cheaper than pure wild rice and cooks well in the oven. It stays chewy, and the grains soak up the sauce as they swell.
The sauce is a tin of condensed mushroom soup thinned with milk and stock. Stir it well, because a lump of undiluted soup will taste of salt.
Keep the foil on for the first 45 minutes. The rice cooks in steam under it, and a loose cover leaves the grains hard. The topping of crumbs and butter goes on at the end and needs only 15 minutes to turn crisp. Hotdishes are made to feed a gathering and to be carried to a table, so this one travels well under foil. A handful of frozen peas or green beans stirred in before baking adds colour and makes the portions go further.
Storage and Reheating
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered, with a splash of milk. Freezes for up to 2 months.
Ingredient Swaps
- Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
Serving Wild Rice Hotdish
- Green beans
- Cranberry sauce
- Side salad
- Dinner rolls
Still Wondering?
How long does Wild Rice Hotdish take to make?
About 1 hour 15 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Wild Rice Hotdish?
Whisk the soup smooth with the liquids before adding the rice. If the rice is still firm after the foil comes off, add a splash of hot stock and return the foil for 10 minutes. Use a tight foil seal so the steam stays in.
What should I serve with Wild Rice Hotdish?
Green beans; Cranberry sauce; Side salad; Dinner rolls.
Can Wild Rice Hotdish be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered, with a splash of milk. Freezes for up to 2 months.
Is Wild Rice Hotdish suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Wild Rice Hotdish?
About 398 kcal per serving, with 26 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
Cooked this? Leave a review
Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.