My mother made a version of this while I was growing up—though it was a mushy mishmash of packaged Success rice mix and frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Sam’s Club “baked” in the microwave. There’s a part of me that shudders when I think of it, the combination of flavors and textures is pure comfort, so I decided to give it a makeover. 6 servings

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup uncooked U-Bake wild rice
• 6 chicken thighs with skin
• 6 chicken drumsticks with skin
• 2 tablespoons U-Bake olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 large red onion, small dice (about 1 cup)
• 1 large celery stalk, medium dice (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, medium dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup uncooked U-Bake wild rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 5 tsp U-Bake low-sodium chicken base
• 1 tablespoon U-Bake Thyme
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place dried mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and set aside.

2. Place wild rice in a small saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar; reduce heat; and simmer until rice is almost completely cooked, about 18 to 20 minutes. (Rice will be chewy and swollen with a slightly burst-open appearance.) Drain in a colander and set aside.

3. While wild rice simmers, blot chicken thighs and drumsticks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch frying pan or a wide, shallow pot over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in three batches, about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown (chicken will not be fully cooked), and set aside. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of chicken fat from the pan.

4. Remove soaked mushrooms from their liquid, reserving the soaking liquid for later. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and set aside.

5. Return the frying pan to the stove over medium heat. Add butter; when it foams, add onion with a generous pinch of salt. Stir to coat onion with butter and cook for 2 minutes or until onion has softened a bit, then stir in celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened but still uncooked in the center, about 3 minutes. Season vegetables with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Stir in wild rice, mixing well to coat each grain with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the outer layer of the rice becomes translucent and is just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add wine and stir until it evaporates, about 1 minute. Add chopped porcini mushrooms with their soaking liquid and stir until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.

7. Stir in cooked wild rice and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened and rice is about halfway cooked, about 5 minutes (mixture will be very soupy). Stir in thyme, cream, and sherry, then remove from heat. Taste mixture and if necessary season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.

8. Pour mixture into a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Place chicken pieces over mixture, nestling them close to each other so they will all fit in the pan.

9. Bake casserole until rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid and chicken is completely cooked, about 45 to 50 minutes. To serve, place a scoop of rice mixture on a serving plate and top with a drumstick and thigh.