This dish can be made ahead the day (or a couple of days) before, and reheated for your Thanksgiving meal to make things easier.
Wild Rice & Sausage Casserole
Image by mpesce via FlickrIngredients:
2/3 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
3 1/2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable), divided
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter, divided
12 oz. ground sausage (your favorite kind - we like fresh ground all-natural sweet Italian)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
12 oz. mushrooms
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
salt and black pepper to taste
toasted almond slivers for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Combine wild rice and 3 cups of stock in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, cover and let rice cook until tender, from 50 to 65 minutes, depending on the rice and your stove. Check to make sure it's not cooking too hard after a few minutes. (Or follow the instructions on your package of wild rice.)
- Drain the rice through a colander to make sure it's dry, then put in a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In skillet over medium heat, put the sausage and cook until just browned slightly; then dump into bowl with cooked rice.
- In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil or butter over low heat, and add the onions, cooking until they start to turn golden brown in color. This will take a while, as the onions are carmelizing, possibly 10 minutes or more.
- When the onions are golden and soft, add the thyme, stir and cook for 1 minute more, then add this mixture to the bowl with the sausage and rice.
- In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter, add chopped mushrooms and cook until they soften and get golden brown and the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.
- Dump the mushrooms into the bowl with the sausage and rice mixture.
- Then in the bowl, add the parsley, remaining 1/2 cup stock, and season with salt and pepper to taste, mix gently, then turn into a baking dish.
- Cover and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Add toasted almond slivers when served if desired.
