Creamy Baked Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 This is a Recipe from Heidi and it is great with leftover Turkey also. Doubling the Chicken/Turkey and the Topping makes this meal much better. By doubling both the meat and the topping this casserole will feed 8 hungry people!

Ingredients

6 T unsalted butter, plus more for the casserole dish

5 cups water

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 T Salt

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or a store bought rotisserie chicken works well)

1 1/3 cups wild rice (I use Lundburg Wild Blend Rice, I don't care for just wild rice)

6 T dark brown sugar

1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen

2 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 Cup bread crumbs (I use panic)

5 oz button mushrooms, quartered (about 2 cups, I use pre-sliced for convince)

1 small onion, chopped

2 1/2 C heavy cream (I use 1/2 & 1/2 or a combination of it and heavy cream)

1/2 t ground cinnamon

2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (Swiss)

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, thyme, bayleaf, salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

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 (or according to package directions) Drain the excess water, transfer the rice to a bowl and set aside.

In a small pot, over medium heat, add 2 T butter, when melted add the brown sugar, cranberries, rosemary, bread crumbs and a pinch of salt.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is uniform. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

In a large straight-sided sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 Butter, add mushrooms, onions, and a pinch of salt. Saute until the mushrooms and onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream/ 1/2 & 1/2 and the cinnamon bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer about 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Add Cheese and mix well. Add the rice and chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, to taste, they transfer to the prepared casserole dish. 

Spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the top of the casserole and bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. (if you make ahead, it will take a little longer in the oven to be bubbly, cover and bake, then remover the cover to let the bread crumbs brown)