Chicken and Wild Rice with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Mushrooms is the coziest chicken dinner you can make year-round! It's packed with veggies, rich in fiber, and gluten-free. There is no cream and no cheese in this nutrient-dense simple weeknight meal. It's easy to make it ahead - perfect for meal prep. Simple enough for a busy weekday - fancy enough to serve company!
Chicken and wild rice
The best thing about this comforting chicken and wild rice dinner is that it's so easy to make. The only time-consuming portion of the is cooking the wild rice. As you know, wild rice cooks a long time, about 45 minutes, so plan accordingly. You can even cook wild rice up to 3 days in advance. Or, use pre-cooked wild rice in a pouch to save time as I did - it made the whole recipe incredibly easy! Not a bad choice for a busy weeknight! The combination of flavors is amazing. Wild rice and mushrooms are always a winning combo! This restaurant-quality dish is perfect for weeknights and special occasions! For more wild rice inspiration, check out this creamy chicken and wild rice skillet.
Why make it
- Nutrient-dense recipe. This chicken and wild rice dinner is packed with nutritious vegetables - sweet potatoes (you can also use butternut squash!) and portobello mushrooms. Wild rice is usually highly nutritious - it's a good source of many minerals, is rich in fiber, and has a good amount of protein.
- Easy to make + shortcuts. This recipe literally took me only 30 minutes to make! Usually cooking wild rice take a lot of time, but here I used cooked wild rice in a pouch which made the whole recipe a breeze! If your store sells precut butternut squash - use that instead of sweet potatoes to save even more time!
- Beautiful presentation. Wild rice always makes a beautiful presentation. Add orange sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and fresh herbs - and you have yourself a weeknight meal that pleases the eye! Or make it to entertain and impress your guests!
Main ingredients
- Chicken - I used skinless boneless chicken thighs. They are super easy and forgiving to cook. You can also use skinless, boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins.
- Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious root vegetables packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. I used orange sweet potatoes (rich in antioxidants) in this recipe. I like to peel the potatoes that I use in recipes.
- Mushrooms. I used portobello mushrooms that add a rich and deep, almost "meaty" flavor to any dish. They taste quite differently from other mushrooms. You can also use white button mushrooms, crimini, or shiitake.
- Wild rice. I used Brown and Wild Rice blend (O Organics Blend sold at Safeway). This rice in the pouch was already cooked which made this recipe incredibly easy. I also like a wild rice blend by the Lundberg brand.
- Italian seasoning combines just the right dried herbs and is perfect for chicken wild rice with mushrooms. You can also use Herbs de Provance.
- Seasonings that I used to make this dish really flavorful include smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.
- Chicken stock. I used 1 cup of chicken stock to add moisture to what can sometimes be dry wild rice.
- Salted butter adds flavor!
- Fresh herbs such as fresh thyme bring color and freshness to any dish!
What kind of wild rice to use?
It's best to use a wild rice blend that includes not only wild rice but other varieties. This way, the final dish has a more well-rounded texture and the wild rice blend is easier (and faster) to cook. I used Brown and Wild Rice blend (O Organics Blend sold at Safeway). It was a complete shortcut. This rice blend was already cooked - all I had to do is to release it from the pouch into my skillet. 🙂 So easy! I also like a wild rice blend by the Lundberg brand. The blend includes black, brown, red, and wild rice.
How to cook wild rice
Even though I used pre-cooked wild rice in a pouch, you can also cook wild rice from scratch before adding it to this recipe. Here is how to do it:
- Combine 1 cup of wild rice, 4 cups of water (1 to 4 proportion), and salt in a saucepan. If using a wild rice blend, combine 1 cup of wild rice and 3 cups of water (1 to 3 proportions).
- Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat low and simmer (cook) the rice for about 45 minutes, covered.
- After 45 minutes of cooking, stir the rice. If there is still water in the pan, cover, and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 more minutes to absorb the remaining water.
- Season the rice with extra salt, if desired.
How do you know when wild rice is cooked?
- Cook until the rice is soft but not mushy and until most of the grains are popped. You don't want the rice to be tough and chewy, so be patient and cook just until it's of the right softness.
- Once the rice is cooked to the desired softness, drain extra water from the pan.
Variations, substitutions, and add-ins
- Wild rice can be replaced with regular rice or orzo.
- Add nuts. Toasted pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, or pumpkin seeds make a great addition to any wild rice dish!
- Dried fruit. Sprinkle some dried cranberries or dried figs to add a touch of sweetness to the chicken wild rice.
- Veggies. This recipe is super versatile. Use your favorite veggies. Carrots and roasted butternut squash work great in place of sweet potatoes. If you don't like mushrooms, replace them with diced bell peppers, spinach, or sweet green peas (the frozen kind).
Can you make this ahead?
Chicken and wild rice with sweet potatoes and mushrooms can be made up to 4 days ahead. It can be reheated in a microwave oven, or in the skillet on the stovetop. If the rice gets dry, just add small amounts of chicken broth or water until the rice gets moist to your liking.
Storage and reheating tips
- Fridge. Refrigerate wild rice with chicken and mushrooms in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. You can freeze this dish in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- How to reheat. Reheat it in the microwave oven or in the skillet on the stovetop. When reheating, you might have to add a small amount of chicken broth or water if the rice gets too dry.
Other wild rice recipes you might like
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms
- Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Wild Rice Skillet with Green Peas
- Chicken and Wild Rice in a creamy Parmesan sauce
- Wild Rice Pilaf with Sausage, Pecans, and Cranberries
Chicken and Wild Rice with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Mushrooms
Ingredients
Wild rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked
Sweet potatoes
- 1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1-inch dice (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme no sprigs, just leaves
Chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs skinless, boneless
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme no sprigs, just leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Other ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 oz portobello mushroom (1 large)
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Cook wild rice on the stovetop
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Rinse wild rice really well. Add 1 cup of wild rice and 3 cups of water to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook according to the package instructions, which usually means 45 minutes. Or, use pre-cooked wild rice blend in a pouch and skip this step!
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While the rice cooks, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Roast sweet potatoes in the oven
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Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss diced potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
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Roast for about 15 or 20 minutes. In the meantime, proceed with the recipe.
Sear chicken thighs and mushrooms on the stovetop
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Generously season the chicken thighs with salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and fresh thyme.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. This allows the skillet to heat through. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on medium heat for 5 minutes, without moving it. This allows the chicken to sear.
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Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer until it's cooked through. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove chicken to a plate.
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To the same, now empty, skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped portobello mushroom, and minced garlic, sprinkle everything with salt, and cook, stirring, on medium heat, until the garlic is softened and the portobello is cooked.
Assembly
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Add cooked wild rice to the skillet with mushrooms and garlic. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir everything well, warming up the rice on medium heat. Stir in roasted sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Return cooked chicken to the skillet with wild rice. Top with fresh thyme sprigs.
Notes
Nutrition
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