It’s that time of year again: Thanksgiving prep time, aka my own personal Super Bowl. (And as of this August, my professional Super Bowl as well!) And as I’ve told you all time and again, stuffing is my absolute favorite part.
This year, I’ve offloaded Friendsgiving stuffing duties to the friend who originally introduced this classic recipe into my life. And I’ve already tapped my mom to make her completely-untraditional-but-SO-SO-delicious deviled egg stuffing for our actual Thanksgiving. But because I just can’t get enough, I also really wanted to try a wild rice stuffing … you know, just in case. (It’s also a gluten-free option, if you have guests who don’t eat bread!)
My inspiration for this stuffing was a stuffed acorn squash recipe I made back in 2014(!!!). It was herby and savory and studded with butter-sauteed mushrooms. I found an Epicurious recipe that went a step further and added caramelized onions (be still, my heart!) and dried pears, which I of course immediately swapped to dried cranberries mostly because I had no desire to track down dried pears.
Like all good stuffings, you can and should make this a day or two ahead of time, so that the flavors have time to meld and bind and become impossibly delicious. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, simply pop the stuffing in the oven (while your turkey is resting after roasting — please don’t forget this step!). I highly recommend leaving it uncovered for part of its oven journey, as the top gets golden and crunchy* and I will fight you for this crispy rice. It’s not Thanksgiving without at least one fight …
*I was having major oven issues, so my stuffing did not get as golden as I would have liked. The best part of cooking for one though is that I didn’t have to share the parts that did get crispy and wonderful.
Looking for something else? Everything you need for a delicious Thanksgiving is right over here!
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PinIngredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound garlic and herb sausage, casings removed
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
- 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1–1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
- 2–1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1–1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 1–1/2 cups wild rice
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Add the sausage and brown, using a wooden spoon to break the sausage into crumbles. Set aside in a large bowl.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter on medium-low heat, then add the onions, sugar and salt, sauteeing until the onions are tender and caramelized (about 25-30 minutes). Transfer the onions to the bowl with the sausage.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 tablespoon of the thyme, salt and pepper. Saute until the mushrooms are deep-brown, about 15 minutes. Add to the bowl with the onions and sausage.
- Bring the broth, a 1/2 tablespoon of thyme and 1 teaspoon of sage to boil in a large deep pot. Mix in the wild rice and return to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the caramelized onions, mushrooms, remaining 1/2 tablespoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of sage and cranberries. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a 7-x-11-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
- Cover with foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.
Notes
- You can make the stuffing through Step 5 a few days in advance. Transfer the cooked stuffing from the skillet to your casserole dish, cover with foil and refrigerate. On the day you plan to serve, bring the stuffing to room temperature, then bake as directed.
- This serves 4-6 as a side, but if you have a large Thanksgiving planned, you’ll want to double this recipe.
- Adapted from Epicurious
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