Minnesota Chicken and Wild Rice Hotdish

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 10 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Before you cook

• Rinse the wild rice under cold water until it runs clear.
• Dice the onion and celery, quarter the mushrooms, and mince the garlic.
• Shred the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Butter a deep 3-quart baking dish.

Steps

1. Combine the wild rice and 2 cups of the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
2. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes, until most grains have split open but still have chew.
3. Drain off any broth that remains and set the rice aside.
4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes, until they are browned at the edges.
7. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6 minutes more, until soft.
8. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
9. Stir in the flour and cook for 90 seconds, stirring the whole time.
10. Pour in the milk, the cream, and the remaining 3/4 cup broth, whisking until smooth.
11. Simmer the sauce for 4 minutes, until it thickens.
12. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg.
13. Fold the cooked wild rice and the shredded chicken into the sauce.
14. Pour everything into the buttered baking dish and smooth the top.
15. Scatter the slivered almonds over the surface.
16. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
17. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, until the top is golden and the almonds have toasted.
18. Let the hotdish stand for 10 minutes, then scatter the parsley over the top before serving.