“If a harvest-scented candle and an oversized fuzzy blanket got together to cook dinner, they’d make this Butternut Squash, Chicken, and Wild Rice Casserole.”
That line is exactly how I knew I wanted to make this wild rice casserole from my friend Erin‘s new cookbook Well Plated. Luckily she kindly is letting me share this recipe on the blog for all of you to enjoy! It’s the perfect healthy dinner recipe, but also would make quite an amazing Thanksgiving side (with or without the chicken) or even a lovely way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
If you haven’t picked up your copy of Well Plated, then do so ASAP! There’s so many amazing dinner recipes that are perfect for families and gatherings. You’re going to LOVE it!
Ingredients in butternut squash wild rice casserole
This delicious butternut squash, chicken & wild rice casserole has wonderful fall flavors, sweet & savory elements, and is easier to make than you think. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Wild & brown rice blend: the base of the casserole is made with a wild and brown rice blend.
- Chicken: this recipe is made best with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but feel free to use chicken breasts if you’d like. Check out the notes section for a vegetarian substitute!
- Olive oil: you’ll cook the chicken and veggies in a bit of olive oil.
- Salt & pepper: to properly season the whole dish.
- Butternut squash: you’ll want to use a small butternut squash that’s about 1½ pounds.
- Yellow onion: for a little extra flavor and crunch in the casserole.
- Fresh thyme: fresh herbs really bring out the wonderful fall flavors.
- Dried cranberries: I love the sweet & tangy bites of dried cranberries. Dried cherries would also be delicious.
- Shredded parmesan cheese: incredibly melty parmesan cheese makes this casserole perfectly creamy and holds everything together.
- Raw pecans or walnuts: the nutty flavors of pecans or walnuts pair deliciously with the sweet dried cranberries and savory cheese!
Customize this butternut squash wild rice casserole
- Add some decadence: stir ½ to 1 cup of shredded Gruyère or fontina cheese into the filling with the Parmesan.
- To make vegetarian: swap the chicken for 2 (15- ounce) cans of reduced sodium white beans (like great Northern or cannellini beans), rinsed & drained.
- To make vegan: swap white beans for the chicken and use your favorite dairy free parmesan cheese.
How to cut & peel butternut squash
The deliciously roasted butternut squash is the star of the show in this cozy wild rice casserole. Learn exactly how to cut and peel a butternut squash (safely) with this easy tutorial!
Make this wild rice casserole ahead of time
For even faster dinner prep: Prepare the rice up to 2 days in advance (or make it in big batches and freeze individual portions for up to 3 months). The chicken and butternut squash can be cooked up to 1 day in advance. You can also swap the chicken thighs for 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
The entire casserole can be assembled through step 6 and stored in the refrigerator, unbaked, for up to 1 day. Let come to room temperature, then bake as directed.
How to freeze & reheat wild rice casserole
To freeze: bake the casserole completely, then let cool to room temperature. Cover it tightly, then freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: let the casserole thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, then cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F until warmed through. Be sure to use a pan that is freezer and oven safe.
More winter squash recipes to try
Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Cranberry Pecan Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted Butternut Squash Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Couscous
Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Lentil Moroccan Stew
Butternut Squash Green Chile Chicken Soup
I hope you love this butternut squash, chicken and wild rice casserole from Erin’s Well Plated cookbook! Don’t forget to pick up your copy and enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Butternut Squash, Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked wild- and- brown- rice blend
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1½ pounds)
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¼- inch dice (about 1½ cups)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus additional for garnish
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces), divided
- ½ cup roughly chopped raw pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Drain off any excess cooking liquid and set aside (you should have about 3 cooked cups).
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. For easy cleanup, lay a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper in the bottom of a 9×13- inch baking dish. Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on top, tucking the loose side portion of each thigh underneath. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the chicken thighs reach 165 degrees F on an instant- read thermometer at the thickest part, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer from the dish to a plate and cover. Let rest 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Discard the foil or parchment and keep the pan handy.
- While the chicken cooks, peel the butternut squash and trim off the top and bottom ends. Cut the neck away from the round base, then stand the base up on its flat end and cut it in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut the squash (both base and neck) into ½- inch cubes (you should have about 4 cups cubes).
- In a large, deep skillet with a tight- fitting lid, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the squash, onion, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sauté until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender but still retains some chew, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Once the chicken has rested, cut it into bite- sized pieces. Add it to the pan with the squash, then add the thyme, cranberries, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and the rice. Stir to combine.
- Lightly coat with nonstick spray the same 9×13- inch dish you used to bake the chicken (no need to wash it in between). With a large spoon, scoop the squash and rice mixture into the dish, spreading it into an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the nuts and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan on top. Bake 8 to 10 additional minutes, until the cheese is melted and the nuts are toasted and crisp. Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh thyme and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
I changed a couple of things, took some short cuts, etc so I’m going to tell you what I did.
One pouch 90 second brown rice
One pouch 90 second wild rice
Two cups rotisserie chicken, chopped
Previously roasted butternut squash cubes
One sweet onion, chopped
Several large hands full Fresh kale, chopped
Spoonful of jarlic🧄
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cranberry juice ( could use wine. Could just replace it with more broth, as well)
Salt, pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2-1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 cup craisins
Parmesan cheese &/or Gruyere
* Sauteed my onion & kale in some EVOO. Added the previously roasted butternut squash, the rotisserie chicken, broth, cranberry juice, and seasonings.
*Once my squash and chicken were warm, I added the craisins, and about 1/3 C cheese. Gave it a good toss.
*Sprinkled more cheese across the whole skillet, covered it with a lid, and let it rest with the heat off. 5 minutes or so till your cheese is all nice and melty.
i forgot the toasted pecans on the top…
Delicious!! Making it again next week!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I made this with sweet Italian sausage instead of chicken – just sautéed it in the same pan after the onions & squash. Love this recipe; it’s on repeat for me in fall when squash is in season.
Sounds absolutely amazing! Glad this recipe turned out amazing for you!
Insane! Added double the cheese and topped with panko. Tasted like a dinner charcuterie board. Adding to the rotation!
I’m so glad you loved it YAY! Thanks, Alexis!
We skipped the pecans as my daughter is allergic (and I’m not a big fan of it anyways 😄), and it was still very tasty. I loved the combination of the wild rice, cranberries and the squash!
Totally fine to leave out the nuts! So glad that you loved this one 🙂
This is SO GOOD. I left out the cranberries and it was still full of flavor and nice to have as a healthy weeknight dinner. Thank you!
Perfect! Glad it was a hit!
Another amazing recipe! This was so flavorful and delicious. I will definitely be making again!
Glad you loved it!!
Definitely a comfort food! Made this for my friend after she had her baby (and obviously one for myself)
Absolutely! Love that 🙂
This was one of my first recipes I have tried from ambitious kitchen. I found this blog through a friend who posted on instagram. I have been trying to cook healthier but manageable meals for my family and keep on coming back to this blog. This recipe was one of my favorites (I think I ate all the leftovers). I used an instant version of wild rice, which I think I will try and stick to other types for next time. If you love butternut squash, you’ll love this one!
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed!
This casserole is easy and delicious! It’s a nice blend of flavors with the squash, dried cranberries, thyme, parmesan and nuts. It does take a bit of time because the brown/wild rice blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill) takes about 50 minutes to cook on the stovetop, but the chicken and vegetables can be cooked during that time. I was thinking after I made it that it all, except for cooking the rice, could have been done in one oven-proof skillet. The chicken could have been sauteed in the skillet instead of baked, and then the chicken, rice and other goodies could have been added to the skillet and baked right in it. I will do it that way next time.
That’s a great idea! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Not going to lie, I was nervous this would be bland because the seasonings list is so simple but it was DIVINE. Lovely fall flavors and the cranberries were like little jewels!! Perfect meal prep for my husband and I for the week! I subbed sweet potatoes for the squash, and chicken breasts for thighs. Since I used chicken breasts, they did get a tiny bit dry but I just poured a little chicken stock over the dish once it was done baking.
So happy you loved this one! Simple and delicious. And great tip with the chicken stock!
This recipe is amazing! So easy, healthy and delicious!
So glad you love it!
This rice dish was very tasty however it was very dry. I followed the directions to the letter so not sure why that happened.
Sorry to hear that! Did you by chance overbake the dish? The parmesan should add a nice amount of moisture when it melts.
This was so delicious! The only thing I would change, is for you to include the cooking temperature for when you put everything together in the oven during step 6/7. I guessed and potentially had it too hot, so the rice got a little crispy. That aside, it was filled with such good fall flavors. My husband loved it and said we should make it for Thanksgiving.
So glad you enjoyed! In step 3 you’ll reduce the oven temp from 425 to 350 – then you can continue on with the recipe at that temperature.
Absolutely delicious dinner: tasty, flavorful and colorful. Made it vegetarian with 1 can of white beans and 1 can of garbanzo beans. Mixed Parmesan cheese and Dairy Free Mozzarella cheese. Also used raw cashews that I toasted as per suggestion from Ambitious Kitchen. I wrote to them about substitutions and the chef graciously wrote me back quickly as I was preparing the dish for dinner. (Do start it early because it takes a while.) I was thrilled to get this personal advice from the chef. I froze left-overs since the directions say that it freezes well and my husband and I look forward to another delicious dinner in the future. The dish smelled like Thanksgiving. Scrumptious!
Amazing! I’m glad those little swaps worked out well 🙂 The perfect dinner!
Great recipe! Easy to use – I added in some other leftover vegetables I had laying around. Was perfect and filling for fall!! Loved it.
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
Yum! Such a cozy, seasonal dish. Love the chewiness of the rice paired with the soft squash and sprinkling of nuts and cranberries. I subbed turkey breast for the chicken thighs. Also omitted the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and mixed in some leftover feta cheese I had instead. Also subbed slivered almonds that I had on hand for pecans. Would recommend this recipe!
I made this 2 days ago and I had to come back and leave a review. Seriously Monique? This is friggin AMAZING! I didn’t have dried cranberries on hand so I used dried cherries. My BF was completely against this meal but I had a butternut squash on hand and this recipe called to me. And guess what? He loved it too! It is such a comforting meal with all the warm coziness of fall. Thank you for sharing this recipe! Definitely FIVE STARS!!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Christine!
Made this tonight. Yummy! Would be great with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey instead of chicken. Will be making this again.
It was pretty easy, and delicious. I did half chicken breast half white beans with tart cherries and pecans. A lot of different textures and flavors; would recommend.
Just made this for dinner and it’s a perfect rainy fall day recipe! So yummy! And easy for a person like me who isn’t a super experienced home chef. I am very tempted to take out the chicken and use it for a thanksgiving side!
I don’t often use recipes because I find many require a huge list of ingredients and lots of time and kitchen tools. This recipe was so easy though and minimal ingredients that can easily be purchased at any supermarket with very little time and cleanup, The component and flavors came together so beautifully. I initially made it for my fiancé and his friend also thoroughly enjoyed some, I’m not usually a fan of butternut squash but I couldn’t help
digging in too. Such a perfect fall recipe with the colors and flavors; the different textures blend so well together. I imagine this would make an amazing and impressive thanksgiving dish too and will certainly be made in my house again.
Yum yum yum!!! What a perfect casserole that brings feelings of comfort and confidence! I do not feel confident in the kitchen but this recipe was easy to follow and my whole family (toddler included) loved it! I didn’t modify anything; but next time I might add a cranberry sauce or gravy.
This is very tasty and comforting! I added mushrooms because we like them 🙂 I think it would also be great to use broth in place of water to make the rice to give an added boost of flavor, but it was good as is. I didn’t fully read the recipe before I added it to our weekly menu and was a little disappointed it wasn’t an “add everything to the pan and bake” recipe. It took a few more steps to pre-cook the chicken, rice, butternut, etc prior. It’ll be more of a weekend than a weekday dish for us. But overall, would make again!
Jess, I used freshly made chicken stock I had made from the day before. (Forgot to mention in my review) and it does enhance the great flavors!
Perfect! And great tip on the broth. This would be great to prep on the weekend!
I made this for dinner tonight – very easy and delicious! Loved the flavors, it tastes like fall and thanksgiving without being too heavy, but still filling! Everyone loved it and I will for sure make again 🙂
So happy to hear that! Perfect fall dinner.
I was sceptical that all these flavors would go well together, but I trust AK recipes so I decided to try it out. Again, Monique did not disappoint. It was SO delicious, my husband kept saying yum during the meal.
My husband and I both really enjoyed this recipe the only change I made was using rotisserie chicken that was pre-cooked instead of thighs. Next time I make it I think I will make it without chicken completely and use it as a nice side dish
So. GOOD!!
Glad you loved it!!
This recipe was AMAZING! I modified it a bit because I’m allergic to onions. I swapped out the onions for mushrooms and also added sage! I recommend cooking the rice and the chicken ahead of time. There are a lot of steps to the recipe and it requires a lot of dishes, but it is WORTH IT! One of my favorite AK recipes for sure!
Perfect! So glad you loved this one!
Sooo easy, quick and tasty. Already had most of the ingredients in the pantry and not much cleanup! Also the leftovers taste great cold topping a salad the next day! Will make again!
Love the idea of a salad topping! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Monique, this was by far the best casserole I have ever made! Followed the recipe exactly (besides using leftover roasted chicken from the other night in place of the thighs). The cranberries and pecans add a delicious textural element and taste of fall! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Monique, THANK YOU for sharing this recipe and my book! So glad you enjoyed it and I hope that your wonderful readers do also❤️
Absolutely! Thanks so much for creating it 🙂 I know my readers will love it as much as I did!