Wild Rice Hot Dish

Casserole
12 Dec, 2023
  1. What you’ll need:
    • 1 cup wild rice
    • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or lean ground turkey
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
    • 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 1 1/2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
    • 1 1/2 cups milk
    • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  2. Instructions:  (Yields 4-6 servings)
    • In a small bowl, cover the wild rice with cold water and let it soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a large non-stick skillet (12-inch) over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper until no longer pink. Drain the grease from the meat. Transfer the meat to a paper-towel lined plate and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Return the skillet to the stove top and melt the butter over medium heat.
    • Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, until the onions are translucent and the most of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Continue stirring and cook the mixture for about 1 minute over medium heat until it is cooked and golden.
    • Slowly pour in the broth and milk and whisk to incorporate. Add the seasoning salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and paprika and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
    • Drain the wild rice. Stir it into the sauce with the browned hamburger. Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased State Shaped Cast Iron Skillet.
    • Cover the skillet tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the almonds are golden and toasted and the rice is tender.  Uncover skillet, garnish with fresh parsley or thyme, and serve hot.