Wild Rice Casserole
This is one of my favorite dishes of all time. It takes a while to bake, but it's worth it every time. I do a lot of this recipe by feel. If you're going to follow it to the letter, just be sure that the broth you make from the chicken stock and sherry is to your liking, it will make a big difference.
This is one of my favorite dishes of all time. It takes a while to bake, but it's worth it every time. I do a lot of this recipe by feel. If you're going to follow it to the letter, just be sure that the broth you make from the chicken stock and sherry is to your liking, it will make a big difference.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 1 pound mushrooms (suggest baby bella or a combination)
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes diced (see note)
- 2 2 1/4 oz cans chopped ripe olives
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
- Carbohydrate 24.9338644839645 g
- Cholesterol 187.75156250654 mg
- Fat 40.7812727188221 g
- Fiber 2.39934671668522 g
- Protein 47.4940814304073 g
- Saturated Fat 13.6200371409893 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (367g)
- Sodium 206.880264440938 mg
- Sugar 22.5345177672792 g
- Trans Fat 3.39038271652127 g
- Calories 670 calories
Step-by-step
- Clean, slice, and sauté mushrooms in butter until softened and white parts turn opaque
- Wash wild rice well by letting cold water run through. (See note)
- Mix all ingredients and spoon into a greased casserole dish. Stir to mix well.
- Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hrs.
Swapping dry sherry for vermouth alters the underlying acidity of the sauce, meaning you must adjust the added salt downward by a quarter teaspoon to compensate for the sharper profile. Achieving consistent results requires deliberate management of your cooking vessels, starting with a heavy-bottomed skillet that prevents the butter and mushrooms from scorching during the initial sauté. When moisture levels drop too quickly in a thin pan, the mushrooms brown prematurely before releasing their internal water, which robs the finished dish of essential savory depth.
Equipment and Baking Dynamics
Standard baking dishes vary wildly in thermal mass, so transferring this mixture from a thin glass dish to a thick ceramic equivalent demands a careful extension of the 325-degree baking window by at least fifteen minutes to ensure the center reaches the proper temperature. Covering the casserole tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil traps the steam necessary to soften the persistent outer hull of the wild rice without requiring a preliminary boiling phase on the stovetop. Stirring the raw grains directly into the warm broth, melted butter, and diced aromatics allows the starches to hydrate uniformly as the oven heat gradually penetrates the mass.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Rushing the initial mushroom sauté remains the single most frequent error home cooks make, usually because they crowd the pan and trap steam instead of allowing direct contact with the hot butter. Overcrowding causes the mushrooms to boil in their own juices rather than browning, yielding a rubbery texture that persists even after two hours in the oven.
