Dinner Recipes

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole with Mushrooms

By Clara ·
November 1, 2026

The mushrooms give up a puddle in the skillet before they soften, and it’s worth waiting for that liquid to cook away. When it does, the vegetables are ready to take on the butter and flour without watering down the sauce. That’s the small detail that helps this creamy turkey and wild rice casserole with mushrooms bake up rich instead of soupy.

I build the sauce right in the same skillet: flour cooks briefly in butter, then broth and heavy cream go in gradually. It thickens on the stove before it meets the cooked rice, turkey, and peas, so the casserole doesn’t have to rely on the oven to turn a thin mixture creamy. Under foil, everything warms through; uncovered, the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F. The wild rice stays pleasantly substantial among the tender vegetables and silky sauce.

Why the Mushrooms Need to Stop Releasing Liquid Before the Sauce Starts

Mushrooms give off moisture as they cook, and that liquid has to evaporate before the flour goes into the skillet. If you move on while the vegetables are still sitting in a wet pan, the sauce starts with extra water and can take longer to thicken. The mushrooms should be softened, and the skillet shouldn’t have a puddle of liquid at the bottom.

This is also why I don’t rush the vegetables over high heat. Medium heat gives the onion and celery time to soften while the mushroom liquid cooks off. Once the pan looks mostly dry, the butter and flour can form the base for a sauce that coats a spoon before baking. You’re looking for a creamy casserole, not rice and turkey sitting in a thin pool.

The sauce thickens on the stovetop, then the oven finishes the job by warming the filling and bubbling the edges. Keeping those stages separate gives you a useful visual check: a spoon-coating sauce before assembly, followed by a hot casserole after baking.

What Wild Rice, Cremini, and Cream Each Bring to This Casserole

• Wild rice — Its firm, pleasantly chewy grains hold their shape among the creamy sauce and cooked turkey. Use plain uncooked wild rice and rinse it before simmering; a seasoned rice blend would bring a different mix of grains and seasonings, so it won’t cook or taste the same.
• Cremini mushrooms — They give the casserole its earthy, savory base. Choose mushrooms that look firm and dry rather than slick or bruised. Slicing them evenly helps them soften at a similar pace, and there isn’t a direct mushroom swap in this version that preserves the same flavor.
• Cooked turkey — This is a good place to use leftover cooked turkey, either diced or shredded. Diced pieces give you distinct bites, while shredded turkey disperses through the creamy filling. The turkey is already cooked before it goes into the dish, so it only needs to warm through in the oven.
• Low-sodium chicken broth and heavy cream — The broth supplies savory depth without making the sauce overly salty, while heavy cream gives it a fuller, smoother texture. A basic low-sodium broth works well; the cream is doing more than adding richness, so a thinner liquid won’t give quite the same body.
• Butter and all-purpose flour — Together, they build the roux that thickens the broth and cream. Whisk the flour into melted butter until no dry patches remain, then give it a minute to cook before adding liquid. That brief cooking step helps the finished sauce taste smooth rather than floury.
• Frozen peas — They add small, tender bites of sweetness and color. Add them frozen to the bowl; they don’t need to be thawed separately before the casserole goes into the oven.

From Tender Wild Rice to a Bubbling 9×13 Casserole

Simmer the Wild Rice Until Tender

Rinse the wild rice, combine it with the water in a 2-quart saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 45–55 minutes. The rice needs to be tender before it goes into the casserole; if it’s still tough, the oven bake won’t replace the longer simmer it needs. Drain any water left in the saucepan.

Cook Off the Mushroom Liquid

Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. In a 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then add the sliced cremini mushrooms, diced onion, and diced celery. Cook for 8–10 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the mushroom liquid has evaporated. If liquid is still collecting in the skillet, keep cooking before moving on to the flour.

Whisk a Spoon-Coating Cream Sauce

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour, whisking for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream; adding them gradually helps keep the sauce smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, until it coats a spoon. If it still runs off like broth, give it the full simmering time before you combine it with the rice.

Assemble, Bake, and Let It Set

In a large bowl, combine the cooked wild rice, turkey, and frozen peas, then stir in the sauce and season with the kosher salt and black pepper. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving so the filling can settle.

Two Small Changes That Shift the Casserole’s Texture

Questions That Come Up When This Casserole Goes in the Oven

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole with Mushrooms

Creamy turkey and wild rice casserole bakes tender wild rice, turkey, mushrooms, and peas in a rich sauce until bubbling at the edges. A 10-minute rest helps it set before serving.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 37 minutes mins

Resting time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 7 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 390

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the rice

• 1 cup wild rice uncooked, rinsed
• 3 cups water

For the casserole

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups turkey cooked, diced or shredded
• 1 cup peas frozen
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

• 1 2-quart saucepan
• 1 9x13-inch baking dish
• 1 12-inch skillet

Method

 

Make the rice

1. Combine the wild rice and water in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45–55 minutes, until the rice is tender and some grains have split.
3. Drain any excess water.

Make the casserole

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the mushrooms, onion, and celery and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the mushroom liquid has evaporated.
5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour, and cook, whisking, for 1 minute.
6. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream.
7. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
8. Combine the cooked rice, turkey, and peas in a large bowl.
9. Stir the sauce into the rice mixture.
10. Season the mixture with the salt and pepper.
11. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
12. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
13. Uncover and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until bubbling at the edges and 165°F in the center.
14. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, cook the wild rice until some grains split and drain it well before mixing. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.