This wild rice stuffing is a new take on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. Add something interesting and colorful to your holiday dinner table this year!

This wild rice stuffing is a “try something new” recipe for Thanksgiving and other gatherings.

It’s an all-around delicious dish to bring to Thanksgiving dinner: Nutty wild rice is combined with a variety of ingredients of varying textures and flavors.

And while the ingredient list may look long, you can omit certain ingredients and make substitutions to use what you already have stocked in your fridge or pantry.

Optional ingredients and substitutions can help you save money on Thanksgiving dinner – and all year round.

This recipe is naturally gluten free and full of wholesome, whole foods.

Wild Rice Stuffing: Ingredients

As previously noted, this recipe is adaptable. I have listed whether an ingredient is optional, below. While I encourage you to follow the recipe as written for best results, feel free to leave an ingredient out if you don’t like it or if you don’t have it on hand.

• Wild rice: The main ingredient in this stuffing is, you guessed it, wild rice! There are different varieties of wild rice and most of them will be fine for this recipe. Just be sure to read the cooking directions carefully as different rices have different cooking times. If you’re in a hurry, you could also use canned wild rice that is already cooked. However, this is the more expensive option.
  • Learn how to make a perfect batch of wild rice.
• Butter: Butter and stuffing are ubiquitous, and this stuffing recipe is no exception. Butter is the main cooking fat that adds richness and flavor.
• Onion and garlic: The base of any good savory recipe is onion and garlic. I took a bit of time to caramelize the onions and this added so much flavor. If you’re short on time, you can simply sauté the onion in butter for a few minutes.
• Applesauce: My favorite stuffing of all time is this applesauce stuffing. I added applesauce to this wild rice stuffing as well. Just a little bit adds a hint of sweetness to this otherwise savory dish.
• Egg: Without an egg, the stuffing ingredients are in looser form and this dish becomes more like a rice pilaf than a stuffing.
• Sausage: Can you make this stuffing without meat? Absolutely. But I highly recommend adding some smoked sausage links to add even more flavor and texture. I used smoked cheddar sausage, but you could use chicken sausage links, brats or even ring bologna cut into coins. Optional.
• Mushroom: Mushrooms add savory and umami flavor to this wild rice stuffing. Optional.
• Sweet potato: I had a leftover sweet potato and added it to this dish. Optional.
• Celery: Celery is in many stuffing recipes. It’s an affordable ingredient that adds more nutritional value and crunch. Optional.
• Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries add a pop of tang and sweetness to the stuffing. You can substitute other dried fruit.
• Pecans: If you don’t have pecans, feel free to substitute pistachios or walnuts. Nuts add some crunch to the dish. But are technically optional.

The Process

This recipe takes a bit of time to prepare, since we’re dealing with several ingredients that need to be prepped or cooked in advance:

• Roasted sweet potato
• Cooked wild rice
• Caramelized onion
• Etc.

But I promise you, it’s worth it.

This wild rice stuffing can be prepped ahead of time, up to 24 hours in advance. You’ll want to prep all of your ingredients, put them in the baking dish, and simply heat and serve.

The end result is a hearty side dish that is packed with beautiful, colorful, and flavorful fall-appropriate ingredients like sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pecans.

This recipe is packed with delicious ingredients and is very hearty. A small scoop of wild rice stuffing goes a long way, especially when you’re serving all of the other Thanksgiving sides like mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberries, dinner rolls, etc.

This recipe will feed 8 or more, if you are serving other side dishes.

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Wild Rice Stuffing

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. See notes above to find out what ingredients are optional. This recipe will still taste great!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup dry wild rice, prepared according to package directions
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 8 ounce package mushrooms, sliced thin
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed
• 2 pre-cooked smoked cheddar sausage links (or other smoked sausage or ring bologna)
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare wild rice according to package directions. One cup of cooked wild rice will yield approximately 3 cups of cooked wild rice. Set aside.
2. Caramelize onions: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and caramelize; 15 to 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Heat remaining butter in pan over medium heat. Add chopped celery; cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 4 more minutes. Set aside.
4. Roast or saute sweet potato until softened. (I used leftover roasted sweet potato for this recipe).
5. Slice sausages into 1/2-inch coins.
6. Mix prepared wild rice, applesauce, spices, and egg. Fold in cooked onions, garlic, celery, sweet potato, sausage, and cranberries. Place in a small casserole dish or 8x8-inch pan. Top with pecans.
7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until heated through. This can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and baked right before serving.

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