Chicken Wild Rice Casserole Supreme

While this may appear to be just another carbon copy wild rice recipe, there is one key difference...you don't have to cook your chicken ahead of time! Good enough for company or a potluck, but really very simple and total comfort food. It was a big hit in our family and will be a keeper for sure! The base recipe was a Silver award winner from Yankee Magazine recipe contest submitted by Glenna Anderson Muse, with a lot of changes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 (4 1/3ounce) boxes wild rice mix
• 3 -4  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bitesized pieces
• 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (10 1/2ounce) can  cream of mushroom soup
• 1  small red onion, diced (I omitted and used 1 teaspoon onion powder instead)
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, coarsely diced
• 2  celery ribs, diced
• 1⁄3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1  cup light mayonnaise
•  salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 8  ounces monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare the rice according to the package directions.
3. Place the cut up chicken breasts in the bottom of a greased 13x9-inch casserole dish.
4. Combine the rice with all of the remaining ingredients (except the cheese).
5. Spoon the rice mixture around the chicken breasts.
6. Sprinkle the cheese on the chicken and rice.
7. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the cover and cook 15 minutes more, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly and the chicken is cooked through.