Chicken and Squash Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken and Squash Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry unseasoned wild rice blend


• 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided


• 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces


• 1 medium onion, diced


• 1 large rib of celery, diced


• 20 oz peeled and cubed butternut squash (cut into ½” cubes)


• ½ teaspoon salt


• ½ teaspoon black pepper


• 1 teaspoon dried thyme


• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram


• 2/3 cup fresh cranberries


• ¼ cup reduced sodium fat free chicken broth


• 2 oz freshly finely shredded parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Cook the rice in water or broth according to package instructions (I used a rice cooker) and set aside.


2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.


3. 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.


4. 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.


5. 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.

MyWW SmartPoints per (1 & 1/3 cups) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

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