Trisha Yearwoods Chicken and WIld Rice Casserole

6 oz sliced fresh mushrooms or (2) 4.5-oz cans sliced mushrooms drained (reserve juice)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 small onion (chopped)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups half-and-half
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (cooked and diced)
2 6-oz boxes long-grain and wild rice mix (cooked)
1 cup slivered almonds (toasted and coarsely chopped)
1/2 cup sliced pimiento
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x13x2-inch casserole dish.
If you use fresh mushrooms, sauté them in a large skillet with 1 tbsp butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the juice.
In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the remaining butter until tender. Stir in the flour, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Combine the mushroom juice with enough broth to make 3 cups of the liquid. Slowly stir the juice-broth mixture into the onion mixture. Stir in the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture is thickened. Add the sautéed or canned mushrooms, the chicken, rice, toasted almonds, pimiento, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Serving Size: Makes 12 1 cup servings

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LSEILER69.