Wild Rice Dressing with Sausage
, Updated Nov 20, 2024
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Wild rice dressing with sausage, mushrooms, dried cranberries and pecans. No Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering is complete without this hearty and delicious side dish! This easy wild rice stuffing recipe is naturally gluten-free and packed with fiber.
Are you team turkey or team stuffing? Which dish do you reach out for first and look forward to the most come Thanksgiving or Christmas? I I love ’em both almost equally, but the scales are tipping slightly towards stuffing. My entire life I have been a massive fan of stuffing, particularly my mom’s dirty rice stuffing.
This year, I am mixing things up a bit with this wild rice dressing recipe. Picture wild rice cooked with Italian sausage, mushrooms, dried cranberries and pecans – a colorful dish that’s packed with texture and flavor. It pairs especially well with roast turkey, chicken and game hens but is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own!
Gluten-free rice dressing is a great alternative to traditional bread stuffing and you can easily make it vegetarian or vegan by making a couple of small tweaks. So add this recipe to your festive cooking list and prepare to wow family and friends.
What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?
The main difference between stuffing and dressing is the way they are cooked. Stuffing is usually cooked literally stuffed inside the turkey (or game bird) cavity. Dressing is cooked separately in a casserole or baking tray. Despite this clear difference, many people use the terms interchangeably.
I find cooking the stuffing in a separate dish much easier and as an added bonus you can prepare it in advance so you can tick one list off your to-do cooking list to reduce stress on the big day.
Wild Rice Dressing Ingredients
► Sausages – you can use sausage meat or your favorite sausages squeezed out of their casings. Italian sausage or sage sausage are good options but you can also use turkey sausage or even something with a little kick like chorizo.
► Shallots, celery and mushrooms (add some wild mushrooms for extra yumminess!).
► Unsalted butter or neutral oil for a vegetarian / vegan variation.
► Wild rice – this is actually a type of grass and not rice at all… Wild rice tastes nutty, earthy and adds texture and bite to this dressing. The only drawback is that it can be quite expensive so feel free to use a wild rice blend.
► Dried cranberries – these add a touch of sweetness and pop of color making the stuffing even more festive.
► Nuts – chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts for extra crunch.
► Chicken broth, stock made using Bouillon paste or stock cube, homemade chicken or turkey stock or vegetable broth for a vegetarian / vegan variation.
► Herbs – this dressing can take ALL the herbs! Sage, fresh thyme, rosemary, fresh parsley… you name it. You can also add dried herb mix such as Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence.
► Salt, pepper, paprika
How to make Wild Rice Dressing
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Squeeze the sausages out of their casings. Cook the sausage meat in a casserole dish over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring and breaking it up with your wooden spoon, until the fat starts to render.
▼ Add the butter, shallots and celery, sprinkle with the seasoning and sauté for five minutes until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic, sliced mushrooms and cranberries and continue to cook for a few minutes.
▼ Add the wild rice, chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, cover the casserole and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. The overall cooking time will vary slightly depending on the rice blend you use.
▼ Stir in the chopped nuts and parsley and fluff up the rice. Have a taste to check whether you need to adjust the seasoning. Scatter with fresh pomegranate seeds for a pop of color and festive presentation and serve with your favorite dishes.
Recipe Notes, Tips & FAQs
- Vegetarian or vegan variations: omit the sausage meat, replace the butter with a neutral oil and use vegetable broth / stock. It’s that easy and still extremely tasty. This variation is a great choice for stuffing butternut squash by the way!
- Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days and reheat in a pan or the microwave until the stuffing is piping hot throughout before serving.
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Wild Rice Dressing with Sausage
Video
Ingredients
- 3 sausages
- 2 tbsp butter * see note 1
- 3 shallots , finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery , finely chopped
- ½ pound (225g) mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup (50g) dried cranberries , roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp dried herbs (such as Italian seasoning)
- 1 ½ cups (300g) wild rice or wild rice blend
- 3 cups (750ml) chicken broth * see note 1
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup (65g) pecans , roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped
- handful pomegranate seeds , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Squeeze the sausages out of their casings. Cook the sausage meat in a casserole dish over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring and breaking it up with your wooden spoon, until the fat starts to render.3 sausages
- Add the butter, diced shallots and chopped celery, sprinkle with the seasoning and sauté for five minutes until they start to soften.2 tbsp butter , 3 shallots, 2 stalks celery, 1 tsp sea salt flakes, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp dried herbs
- Stir in the garlic, sliced mushrooms and cranberries and continue to cook for a few minutes.½ pound (225g) mushrooms, sliced, 3 cloves garlic, ½ cup (50g) dried cranberries
- Add the wild rice, chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, cover the casserole and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.1 ½ cups (300g) wild rice , 3 cups (750ml) chicken broth, 1 bay leaf
- Stir in the chopped nuts and parsley and fluff up the rice. Have a taste to check whether you need to adjust the seasoning. Scatter with fresh pomegranate seeds for a pop of color and festive presentation and serve with your favorite dishes.½ cup (65g) pecans, handful pomegranate seeds, 3 tbsp fresh parsley
Notes
- Note 1: For vegetarian or vegan variations, omit the sausage meat, replace the butter with a neutral oil and use vegetable broth / stock.
- Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days and reheat in a pan or the microwave until the stuffing is piping hot throughout before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
