Day 333: Turkey and Wild Rice Bake

I've been cooking in some really cold temperatures the last couple of weeks.  It was 13° outside while this meal cooked.  With the cold weather comes problems with baking temperatures.  Don't be afraid to add a few more coals or to move them around if your dish isn't cooking as well as it should.  This meal should have used 1 1/2 rings on top, but because of the low air temperature I ended up needing to use almost 2 rings on top of the pot.  It cooked perfectly without burning.  So don't be afraid of making adjustments!

This recipe is another great way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey!

Turkey and Wild Rice Bake
12" dutch oven

1 pkg. (6 oz.) long grain and wild rice mix
1 cup chicken broth
3 1/2 cup cooked turkey (or chicken), cubed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (6 oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I used sliced carrots instead)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbs. melted butter or margarine

In a small dutch oven, over a full spread of coals, cook the rice according to the package directions.  Place the rice in a large bowl and add the broth, turkey, celery, soup, water chestnuts, mushrooms, onion and soy sauce.  Transfer to a greased 12" dutch oven.  Toss the bread crumbs with the butter and sprinkle over the top of the rice mixture.  Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until heated through.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Serves 8.

The Finished Product

Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of meal that take a great picture!  I won't even say what that looks like.  :)  You'll have to trust me that it's good!

The Review

I didn't expect a lot from this recipe, mostly because it uses cream soup.  So I was shocked by how good this was!  The water chestnuts added a nice crunch and the chicken was really moist.  My kids weren't thrilled about the water chestnuts, but other than that they all had second helpings. I love when a recipe surprises me like this one did.  I tried it because I need something new to cook, not because it looked super yummy.  So it was a bonus all around.  Grade B+.