This Chicken and Squash Wild Rice Casserole is the perfect blend of seasonal flavors you need on your table this fall and winter! Savory spices, sweet butternut squash, tart cranberries, nutty parmesan cheese and hearty chicken and wild rice make for a filling and super flavorful dish. If those ingredients are making your mouth water (and how could they not?), go make your grocery list now – you need to make this! I like to pair this with a side salad, and it’s perfect to serve company or for dinner at home with your family. This casserole would also be great with turkey breast, so if you have turkey leftovers after Thanksgiving, consider skipping the chicken step and using that instead. Not only is this recipe hearty and satisfying with all the flavors you crave, a serving is just 378 calories or 6 WW Points! To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
I adapted this recipe from Well Plated, which is another really great recipe blog you should check out. I was drooling over her recipe but just couldn’t help making it my own with a few adjustments. Shout out for the inspiration!
Cook the rice in water or broth according to package instructions (I used a rice cooker) and set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Drizzle 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil in a large saute pan or deep skillet and bring over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chopped chicken and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir to coat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken to a side plate and set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, butternut squash, salt and pepper and stir together. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Cover the pan and continue to cook for around 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is mostly tender.
Uncover the pan and stir in the cooked rice, reserved chicken, thyme, marjoram, cranberries, broth and half of the shredded parmesan until combined. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 25 minutes.
Notes
To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!WW Points per (1 & 1/3 cup) serving: 6 (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)Nutrition Information per (1 & 1/3 cups) serving: 378 calories, 35 g carbs, 4 g sugars, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 34 g protein, 5 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)MyWW SmartPoints per (1 & 1/3 cups) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)Green: 8 SmartPoints/ Blue: 6 SmartPoints/ Purple: 3 SmartPointsWeight Watchers Points Plus: 10 per (1 & 1/3 cups) serving (PP calculated using a Weight Watchers brand PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition information below)Adapted from Well Plated