Gather up all the random things and make a casserole

Sometimes things happen and my best made plans get tossed in the air. That's what happened this last week. My nicely lined up menu for the week got tossed in the area and I punted every night. One of the planned recipes was this one. In my quest to use things from the cabinet and freezer, this used quite things in each - but kept getting pushed back. Saturday came and I decided to premake the casserole for the week. Had I read the recipe, I would have realized that making this in one night in a crazy week would not have worked. Do you need to make the wild rice ahead which takes almost an hour? Yeah and then bake it all together for a while too. I mean sure if you have time go for it, but meal prep is a great option. This makes a huge casserole; I ended up making one for dinner and one for the freezer. I did a little googling and figured out I could freeze a wild rice casserole and that's a win. Cook once - get two meals! This was a win - a great win. It was warm and cozy for dinner after a really cold day and wild couple of weeks.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
For the Casserole:
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
1 small onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup carrots (diced)
1 cup celery (diced)
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
For the Creamy Sauce:
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk (or heavy cream for extra richness)
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Swiss)
For the Topping:
½ cup panko breadcrumbs (or crushed crackers)
2 tbsp butter (melted)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 350°F to ensure it’s ready when your casserole is assembled.
If your wild rice isn’t already cooked, prepare it according to the package instructions. Wild rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, so plan accordingly.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together:
Cream of mushroom soup, Cream of chicken soup, Chicken broth, Milk (or heavy cream), Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Swiss)
In a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, combine:
Cooked wild rice, Shredded chicken, Sautéed vegetables, Creamy sauce
Stir everything together until well-mixed.
In a small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.