Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

I based mine on the recipe here though I really made it my own and only used it as an initial guideline.  I was having company tonight and wanted to put together something easy but worthy of serving.  What I used:

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons Trader Joe's no salt "21 salute" seasoning
• 3 cups low sodium "Better than Bouillon" chicken broth used to poach chicken with fresh herbs (thyme, oregano)
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, poached and cubed
• 1 cup dry of each: wild rice and ancient grains blend (rice, bulgur, barley, wheat berries, red rice, oats and quinoa) to package directions
• 200 grams cremini mushrooms, sliced and quartered
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley, and more for garnish
• 100 grams slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 cups Kraft Cracker Barrel old cheddar cheese, grated

I made the rice and grains the previous evening.

The wild rice takes about an hour so I wanted it ready when I began assembly.  I toasted the almonds in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.

I also poached and chopped up the chicken and had it ready to go the night before.

I stir fried the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic until soft.

I mixed in the butter and flour next until the flour was cooked.  I poured in the stock and brought it to a boil.  I waited until it was thickened and checked the seasoning.  I added the parsley, spinach and cream.  I did one more check on the seasoning and it was good.

I used cooking spray on a 13" x 9" dish.  In that casserole dish, I added the rice, grains and chicken.

I had a quarter of a Brie cheese round left that I wanted to get rid of, so I cubed it small and mixed it in too.  What good is a casserole without cheese?  I poured the sauce over top and mixed it into the rice and chicken.

I sprinkled the almonds and cheese over.

I put it into a preheated 350°F oven for 40 minutes, until the cheese started to brown.

I served, garnishing with more parsley.

This was great - comforting and relatively healthy.  My company asked if I had enough leftovers, could they take some home?  That's a sign of approval.  We all loved the almonds and the texture crunch.  Seasoning/flavor was spot on, everyone was happy.  I had another successful dinner!  Happy New Year!  All the best for the coming year.  This is my last food post for 2018 so I'm glad it was something to feel good about as life is too short for bad food...