Eager Beaver Bake

Time :1 35

Yield :12 servings

Recipe Background

Wait, wait... okay, now you can dig in! The anticipation of all the yummy flavors from Eager Beaver Bake always seems to take the patience away from anyone on the receiving end. It's understandable, for sure. But everyone knows this tender rice, succulent chicken flavor, and fresh veggie combo is worth the wait every single time! Get your plate and belly ready, Eager Beaver Bake can't wait to make its appearance!

Ingredients

2 cups wild rice uncooked
10 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus more if needed, for thinning
3 heads broccoli cut into small florets
1/2 cup butter divided
1 whole medium onion finely diced
1 pound white button or cremini mushrooms finely chopped
2 whole carrots peeled and finely diced
2 stalks celery finely diced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the rice and 5 cups of the broth to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
Cook the rice until it has just started to break open and is slightly tender, about 35-40 minutes.
While the rice is cooling, blanch the broccoli by placing the florets into boiling water until bright green and still slightly crisp, about 1 1/2-2 minutes.
Immediately drain the broccoli and plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Transfer the broccoli from the ice water and set aside.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add the onions and the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid begins to evaporate, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the carrots and the celery to the veggie mixture and cook until the veggies are soft and the mixture begins to turn darker in color, about 3-4 minutes.
Sprinkle the veggies with the flour, stirring to incorporate, and cook until combined, about 1 minute.
Pour the remaining broth into the veggie mixture and stir to combine.
Bring the veggie mixture to a gentle boil and allow it to thicken, about 3 minutes.
Pour the heavy cream into the veggie mixture and stir to combine.
Let the veggie mixture cook until it has thickened.
Season the veggie mixture with the salt and the pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed.
Add 1/2 of the cooked rice to the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish.
Top the rice with 1/2 of the broccoli and ladle 1/2 of the veggie mixture on top.
Repeat the layers once, starting with the rice and ending with the remaining veggie mixture.
Using the microwave, melt the remaining butter.
In a separate bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs and pour the melted butter overtop.
Toss the breadcrumb mixture until it is thoroughly coated in the melted butter and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the bake.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Discard the foil from the dish and bake until the top is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
Serve.