Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

We're having some technical difficulties at our house these days - laptop is on the fritz (where did that expression come from??) and we haven't replaced our stolen desk top computer.  So, no photos on the blog today.  Instead, let me tell you about this casserole.  It's adapted from a recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I've had since college and it was really tasty.  Hearty with a decent amount of vegetables and lean protein.  Since this uses a grain and no flour, if you use gluten free condensed soup, it's a good gf casserole option.

I love wild rice and recently found those pouches of already cooked wild rice at Trader Joe's which eliminates one step from the preparation.  Have you ever used bacon that you buy already cooked?  It's a little limp and not as good for eating on it's own (you know, with eggs for breakfast), but it's good in recipes like this and takes out another step of the prep.  I made a double batch (one pan for us, one for a friend) in the morning and refrigerated it until dinner time and it was great.  I almost forgot the mozzarella cheese but it helped to make it all stick together in the end so I think it's definitely better with it.

Blog note:  My mom has been doing me the favor of pointing out how my serving sizes are off by quite a bit on some recipes.  I'm going back and fixing them.  If you ever make something here and notice that part of the recipe isn't quite right, please let me know!  I'd love to hear that you're making something and would like to keep improving upon the recipes.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole (serves 6)

1/2 c. chopped carrot
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/4 c. sliced green onions (2-3 onions)
1 T butter
1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 9 oz jar or can of artichoke hearts, cut up
1 1/2 c. chopped, cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 c. cooked wild rice
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. milk
2 T sherry or dry white wine (or substitute extra milk)
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 T grated parmesan cheese

Saute the carrot, bell pepper and onions in the butter until crisp-tender.  In a large bowl, combine those vegetables with the rest of the ingredients except the parmesan cheese.  Stir well to combine.  Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with the cheese.  At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or you can bake it.  If you're baking it right away, bake 20 minutes covered with foil, 20 minutes uncovered and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.  If you're baking it from the refrigerator, add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time while it's covered.