It’s still chilly outside so comfort food meals are still a thing, like this Baked Salmon and Wild Rice Casserole!
I love turkey and I had an awesome time over Thanksgiving but now I’m ready to slap my taste buds back to reality and tell them that there’s more to life than white meat! So what’s the next best thing…actually better than turkey?
It’s salmon guys, and judging by this Skillet Seared Salmon, Salmon Tacos, and Salmon Spinach Pappardelle, you might say I have a thing for salmon.
This is a thick creamy casserole packed with nutty-tasting wild rice, potatoes, carrots, and chunks of flaky fresh salmon. All of the ingredients are mixed in a creamy cajun sauce, topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan and baked in the oven until all bubbly and crispy on top.
That’s it, you should make it. Trust me on this one, anytime I feed the family something and their heads are almost on the plate I know it’s a winner.
Have an epic week!
Baked Salmon and Wild Rice Casserole
Creamy cajun sauce with wild rice and chunks of fresh salmon make this casserole a comfort food winner!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups finely diced potato
- 1 1/2 cups sliced leeks
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 1/4 pounds salmon, skin removed and cut into 1 inch squares
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose four
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 tbsp of your favorite Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. You will also need a 13 x 9-inch deep baking pan or equivalent.
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In a large pan heat the oil and add the diced potato. Cook until the potatoes feel soft when poked with a sharp knife.
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Add the leeks, carrots, and garlic. Stir and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
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Turn of the heat and add the wild rice and salmon chunks. Set aside.
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In another pan, melt the butter and then add the flour over a medium heat.
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Stir well until the mixture gets thick.
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Gradually add the stock whisking well after each addition to avoid lumps.
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Bring to a simmer and start to gradually add the half and half.
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Simmer for 5-6 minutes then add the cajun seasoning, salt and black pepper.
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Pour the sauce into the pan with the salmon and rice and gently mix everything together.
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Transfer the whole casserole to a 13 x 9 inch baking pan or equivalent and sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.
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Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and the edges are bubbling.
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Serve at once.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
November 28, 2017 at 8:34 amI agree! I’m ready for seafood and lighter meals. I haven’t made much with wild rice but this casserole certainly has me wanting to run to the store and pick up a package. Great photos!!
Gaby Dalkin says
November 28, 2017 at 4:56 pmYou don’t need to ask me twice to have comfort food!! :P
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
November 29, 2017 at 10:16 amWhat a great upgrade to chicken and rice casserole! The salmon change up sounds perfect and I can’t wait to try it out!
Maria says
November 29, 2017 at 7:42 pmMy boys love salmon! This will be a hit!
Erin says
November 30, 2017 at 6:13 amComfort food to the max!
Jeanine Donofrio says
November 30, 2017 at 1:39 pmLove this cozy non-turkey dish :)
Heather Christo says
December 1, 2017 at 9:06 amI love any recipe with Salmon! and this one looks so easy and delicious for week nights!
Lexi says
December 5, 2017 at 10:10 amThis looks SO comforting!!!
Sue R says
January 23, 2018 at 5:41 pmI made this last night and it was fabulous! I added some mushrooms and a little fresh dill since I need too use up to mine though. Had leftovers for lunch today. The wild rice was done in my instant pot for the first time and would do that again for sure as well in the future. Thanks for the recipe!
Jaime Wellbrock says
September 1, 2018 at 1:40 pmThis was savory and delicious!! I added mushrooms as well. I will most definitely be making this again. So worth a quick trip to the grocery store to get all your ingredients. Thank you for the recipe!
foodnessgracious says
September 6, 2018 at 8:14 pmGlad you liked it Jaime!!
Theresa says
October 5, 2018 at 3:37 pmThis looks so good! I was looking for a salmon casserole and this was the first one with rice instead of noodles…yumm! I don’t have access to fresh salmon right now so I’m wondering about canned salmon as a substitute…I get mine from Costco and it’s good quality, but I’m not sure about amounts. Any ideas??
foodnessgracious says
October 8, 2018 at 12:47 pmHI Theresa, i think canned would be okay as long as you didn’t break it down too much and still kept it chunky.
Carrie says
December 27, 2018 at 1:25 pmIs this dish spicy?
foodnessgracious says
December 27, 2018 at 8:12 pmHi Carrie, no this is not spicy :)
Sara says
December 28, 2018 at 9:00 amI’ve made this a number of times – absolutely love it, thank you for the recipe!
Diana says
February 14, 2019 at 11:01 amNot having enough of any ingredients, and not wanting to go out for them, I did a complete makeover with what I had in little amount: sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, onions, garlic ,wild rice, and millet . No flour? Arrowroot powder…and evaporated milk instead of half and half…fortunately, I did have butter and Parmesan cheese. It turned out salmoncasserolicious, and a new favorite! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
foodnessgracious says
February 17, 2019 at 8:27 amHi Diana! That’s some genius cooking moves and glad it worked out!!
Tauri says
April 11, 2019 at 10:42 pmHi! Is this recipe okay to freeze and bake later or is it only good if you eat it right after making it?
foodnessgracious says
April 15, 2019 at 12:07 amHi Tauri, I wouldn’t freeze this