Friends. It’s time to think outside the (stuffing) box. Say goodbye to stale boxed bread with its mile long ingredient list and hello to tender wild rice tossed with all the fixins including bacon, mushrooms, herbs, almonds, dried cranberries, and a secret ingredient you do not want to miss. Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing is currently rocking my entire world, and I wouldn’t blame you if you went home and made this easy side dish to serve with dinner tonight versus waiting another week until Thanksgiving – if for no other reason than to be able to enjoy the leftovers for lunch over the next 3-4 days because they are legiiiiiit!
I think you’re either a stuffing person or you’re not. As I mentioned a couple years ago, my family is a stuffing family in that we serve it at Thanksgiving because, I don’t know, we feel as though the pilgrims of yesteryear would frown upon our holiday gathering if we didn’t have a giant bowl of wet stale carbs on the table that everybody begrudgingly takes a spoonful of because it’s there.
Well enough is enough – this year I’m bringing a stuffing recipe to Thanksgiving that people are going to be totally jacked to eat. What started as a simple and scrumptious wild rice stuffing studded with mushrooms and bacon, exploded into an ALL THE FALL FLAVORS stuffing (but not in a bad way like Rachel Green’s Traditional English Trifle #namethatTVshow) because I have no self control. At any rate, I’d be thrilled if you made it for your holiday next week!
This recipe and post is sponsored by Fisher Nuts who I’m thrilled to be partnering with for yet another year developing recipes using their delicious almonds, pecans, and walnuts which are not only gluten-free, but contain zero preservatives and come in resealable pouches so they stay fresher, longer. For this stuffing recipe I chose Fisher’s Whole Almonds to chop then add to the stuffing to give it a nutty flavor and satisfying crunch. The chopped almonds in this dish are absolutely delicious and provide a welcome texture.
Since we’re talking Thanksgiving, know that the components in this dish can be prepped a day ahead of time. Chop the vegetables and bacon the night before then saute and assemble up to several hours before your holiday dinner. You can warm the stuffing up in the oven if need be, or honestly just pop the baking dish or serving bowl in the microwave for a couple minutes! So easy, so, so, SO, so scrumptious. I will be making this stuffing side dish for many many meals to come!
Start by adding 1-1/2 cups wild rice blend to a 1-1/2 or 2 quart saucepan with 2-1/4 cups chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is al dente, 40-45 minutes. Take the pan off the heat the let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. I love this Lundberg Wild Blend rice but use whatever you like!
Meanwhile, brown 4 strips bacon in a large, 12″ skillet over medium heat then scoop the bacon into a bowl and set aside, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Turn the heat up to medium-high then melt 2 Tablespoons butter in the skillet and add 1 jumbo shallot or 1 small onion that’s been chopped, 8oz sliced mushrooms, and 2 stalks celery that have been finely chopped. Saute until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are starting to brown then season with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Once the vegetables are tender add 1 Tablespoon freshly chopped sage and 3 cloves minced garlic then saute until the garlic is very fragrant and golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
Last step is to add the cooked wild rice and bacon back into the skillet along with 1/4 cup each chopped Fisher whole almonds, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and dried cranberries. The parmesan cheese is the “secret” ingredient I mentioned, by the way! It gives the recipe a totally unique flavor so if you are craving a super classic stuffing flavor, leave it out, but if you’re up for something a little bit out of the ordinary, definitely include.
Stir well to combine, adding a splash of chicken broth if need be to loosen the stuffing up a bit.
That’s all she wrote, folks – told you it was easy! Garnish with a couple whole fresh sage leaves and more chopped almonds for a beautiful presentation, then scoop and serve next to your Thanksgiving favorites. As I mentioned, leftovers reheat wonderfully so you can scoop the stuffing alongside your leftover turkey and pumpkin pie days after the holiday. Enjoy, everyone!
free email bonus!
5 Day Clean Eating Guide
Fresh and craveable recipes + healthy eating tips!
Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing
Description
Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing is full of fall flavors like herbs, bacon, mushrooms, parmesan, dried cranberries, almonds, and garlic. A delicious side for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups wild rice blend (I like Lundberg Wild Blend)
- 2-1/4 cups gluten-free chicken broth
- 1 dried bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 jumbo shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
- 8oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 cup Fisher whole almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
- Add wild rice, chicken broth, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt to a 1-1/2 - 2 quart saucepan then bring to a boil. Place a lid on top then turn heat down to low and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until rice is al dente. Let pan sit off the heat with the lid on for 5 minutes then remove bay leaf, fluff rice with a fork, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, brown bacon in a large, 12" skillet over medium heat then transfer to a bowl, reserving bacon fat in skillet. Turn heat up to medium-high then melt butter in skillet and add shallots, mushrooms, and celery. Once mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown, add dried thyme then season with salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are golden brown and vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and fresh sage then saute until garlic is very fragrant and golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat then add cooked wild rice, cooked bacon, chopped almonds, dried cranberries, and parmesan cheese to skillet then stir well to combine. Add a splash of chicken broth if you need to loosen the stuffing up a bit. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary, and then serve.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.
This looks so delicious!
This looks delicious and I’m definitely going to make it as a Thanksgiving side! I’m still buying the red box of stuffing I grew up with though too!
I love a good wild rice stuffing! My aunt used to always make the best one, I will definitely be trying this. Unfortunately, I live in Canada now (I’m from Minnesota), so we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, and US thanksgiving is just another day for me now. But I may have to make this sometime this week because it looks too good to pass up!
Yes! Never a bad time to make this dish, Emily! :) Hope you love it!
Looks so delicious! I definitely plan on making this. I always have trouble finding nuts that aren’t manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, so I was thrilled when you mentioned the Fisher nuts are gluten free. I tried to verify this on their website, and it says their GF nuts may be processed on the same line as their products that contain gluten. Do you know if that is maybe outdated information? Or maybe you are not sensitive to the possible slight traces of gluten? Thank you for a great recipe, and knowledge in this area!
Hi Amanda! I never ever buy products that are processed on shared lines because I’m so super sensitive to even trace amounts of gluten. This is new information to me since I’ve been working with Fisher over the past several years, so I will definitely reach out and find out if their processes have changed. All that said, I have never had a reaction to their nuts!
The site mentioned that they wash the lines in-between processing, but they cannot guarantee they would be free from trace amounts. I will look forward to finding out if you hear any different. Thanks!
Hi Amanda! I heard back from the processor – Fisher Nuts are produced in a facility that manufactures products containing gluten, but not on the same equipment/lines!
How much does this recipe make? What should I change if omitting mushrooms?
This sounds divine! Since I will be making a number of dishes for Thanksgiving, wondering if this can be made ahead and then reheated in the oven on day of? Suggestions? THANK YOU!!!
Hi Debi! This dish definitely reheats well. You could cover and bake at 350 until warm or you could honestly just microwave to reheat!
I’m testing out Thanksgiving recipes today and this dish is a keeper! I have to eat GF and my brother is a vegetarian. I omitted the bacon and used veggie broth. Still tastes great!! Wonderful flavor and easy dish. Does rice (or a dish like this freeze well at all?)
I also have your white chili chicken in the crockpot (not for Thanksgiving, but to enjoy tonight!) I love all of your creations, thanks for all you do!
I’m so glad you loved it, Lindsey!! I haven’t tried freezing this dish and hesitate only because mushrooms don’t defrost well, and rice can be tricky to freeze then reheat. Let me know if you give it a try though!
That’s a good dish, especially for rice lovers.
Is wild rice contains more carbs? Can’ t we replace wild rice with brown rice?
One of the perfect dishes for this thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing with us.
Hi Kalista! You could definitely use brown rice in place of wild rice if you like.
This sounds so delicious but it’s really a dressing recipe. Do you have instructions for if you actually want to stuff the turkey with it and cook it that way? I’m afraid if I follow these directions and then stuff the bird, the rice will turn to mush. Any advice?
If you stuff the bird you’ll just want to make sure the internal temperature of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees.
I am on Weight Watchers. Can you tell me the nutrition information? Thanks so much!
Hi Joyce! I don’t calculate nutritional information for my recipes but recommend Livestrong’s recipe calculator tool if you need it! https://www.livestrong.com/login/
I ALWAYS use that rice for my holiday stuffing–it’s perfect! I’ve never added almonds, parm, and cranberries, though. Awesome idea! Thanks for the inspiration!
You bet – I hope you love it!
I mixed this up tonight for our Thanksgiving tomorrow and can’t WAIT to try it! My family is going to love eating a different type of stuffing! Yum! :)
I hope they loved it, Shelby!
Tried this stuffing recipe today and it was the star of the meal! We omitted the bacon, but I will be making this again for Christmas and possibly on repeat for get togethers all winter. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
That makes me so happy, Andrea!! I agree – I’ll be making it often for weeknight dinners!
We just cleaned up after our Thanksgiving dinner for 3 and this stuffing was a huge HIT! I actually cooked the wild rice the night before and refrigerated it. Everything else went together this morning (I used baby portobello shrooms and increased the craisins and fresh sage (because we never get enough sage), did not add the parmesan, then we stuffed Cornish game hens, and I had enough left over to bake in the oven in a small casserole dish. Oh my! Can’t wait for leftovers!
YUM! I looooove the idea of stuffing the hens with this – I bet they paired perfectly!
This was wonderful and I will be making it often. Thanks
So glad to hear it, Carol, thanks for your feedback!
Best ever wild rice stuffing! Skipped the cranberry and bacon and stuffed the turkey with it. Even the tough traditionalists loved it! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
So glad to hear it, Julie!! Thanks for the great feedback – I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
?? I’d like to print JUST the recipe. The “print recipe” button results in 14 pages of color ink pictures and the whole shebang…. how do I print JUST the recipe?
I’m so sorry to hear that, that should not be happening! Just to confirm, you did not use your browser’s print button?
OMG, THE BEST EVER!!! Did this for Thanksgiving & everyone LOVED it! I used organic turkey bacon, vegan parmesan cheese (made with sunflower seeds), dehydrated morel mushrooms, and pecans. YUMMY!!!!
So glad you were able to make it work with substitutions – sounds delicious!!
Thank you for the pecan suggestion! Almonds do not agree with one family member, so I was hoping to see a suggested nut alternative. Pecans sound delicious too!
The name says it all: “Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing”! It truly is delicious! I made this for our family Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! I made it the night before and tossed in the oven along with some other side dishes on Thanksgiving Day. You have to try this dish! Fantastic!
Thanks so much for the great feedback, Jim! So, so glad you enjoyed!
This was amazing, Kristin!! Thank you for such a great recipe. I made it for family and everyone loved it!
Tried this dish for thanksgiving and it was DELICIOUS!! Everyone liked it! Thank you!
[…] Wild Rice Pilaf (Original recipe: Iowa Girl Eats) […]
Oh this is great! my husband is gluten intolerant and this looks like a wonderful sub for boxed stuffing. We’ll have to omit the nuts though because he has nut allergies. I’m thinking of subbing in pumpkin seeds.
[…] Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing by Iowa Girl Eats […]
[…] Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing from Kristin of Iowa Girl Eats […]
[…] Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing is full of fall flavors like herbs, bacon, mushrooms, parmesan, dried cranberries, almonds, and garlic. A delicious side for the holidays! […]
Testing out Thanksgiving recipes tomorrow and this along with your roasted balsamic butternut squash and green bean casserole are all on my list!! Always love your recipes!!
Hi! Hoping to make this recipe and bring it to a my aunts house. Any idea if I could cook it and then keep it warm in a crockpot? Or would it dry out too much?
I think it could work! Might bring extra chicken broth to splash in there every so often in case it starts drying out.
I made this yesterday. Easily the star of our Thanksgiving dinner. And yes, I made a few changes – so take this with a grain of salt – but they were simply to double the fresh herbs and shallots. In addition, I added toasted pepitas and half of the broth was some leftover french onion soup that I had made with red onions & beef broth, red wine, etc. That boosted the flavour quite a bit, but whichever broth one uses would work (just trying to use leftovers and reduce waste)! Love it. What a find!
OH my gosh, so happy to hear it, Anna!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!!
[…] Recipe: iowagirleats […]
How many people will the Best Ever wild rice stuffing serve? Thanks!
How many people will this wild rice stuffing feed? Thanks!
[…] Recipe: iowagirleats […]
Loved it!
Wow- I was in a bind for Christmas stuffing this year as I volunteered to make the dinner for the entire family. I’m the only GF required person in our house and while some of the family isnt picky, others are!
I panicked Christmas Eve on hearing my dad’s expectations for stuffing and of course, the grocery stores closed early Xmas eve. I frantically searched the internet for GF stuffing without bread. I stumbled across this blog and was so relieved. I had almost everything needed already in the pantry. Figured I could wing it well enough without the cranberries and cheese.
It turned out AMAZING. Seriously so delicious the family raved over it and it’s now going into our family cookbook alongside all our favourite GF recipes.
The flavours are deep. Earthy and nutty with just enough crunch, adds a nice texture difference to the rice and mushrooms. I opted for crimini mushrooms as we love the flavour and they hold their texture really well.
An absolute hit and I can’t thank you enough for saving my butt on Christmas Eve lol!
Wow, I’ve never had anything like this and it was easily one of the best things on the table. I made it to accompany the crown rack of lamb. It was beautiful, and delicious! Truly is the best ever. Thanks!
Has anyone tried making this as actual stuffing for inside a turkey? If so do you use less liquid or less cooking time since it will cook further in the bird? Thanks!
[…] Stuffing {All Day I Dream About Food}Butternut Squash & Leek Stuffing {Love & Lemons}Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing {Iowa Girl Eats}Vegan Stuffing with Mushrooms {Veggie […]
I know this is from a couple years ago, but I came across it again today and realized I have all the ingredients (even that exact kind of wild rice, the almonds, cranberries, and bacon too) besides mushrooms which are easy enough to pick up. I’m love a bread-based stuffing but always look forward to trying something new!
Kristin,
Hi! Just to be sure I’m doing this right, especially since I’m cutting the recipe in half, you’re starting by measuring uncooked rice, correct? That 1.5 cups will become more like 5 cops cooked, correct?
Thanks!
[…] Wild Rice Stuffing […]
Made this stuffing tonight. Stuffing it in a bird tomorrow. Smells amazing!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. I made it the day before and when my husband tasted it, he thought it was bland. I tinkered with the salt and added more cranberries and just hoped for the best. When we served it the next day we all raved about it, the flavors blended beautifully and everyone raved about it. I defiantly recommend making this ahead, it is a wonderful dish.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Julia! I’m so glad you all loved the salad!
[…] Stuffing {All Day I Dream About Food}Butternut Squash & Leek Stuffing {Love & Lemons}Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing {Iowa Girl Eats}Vegan Stuffing with Mushrooms {Veggie […]
[…] Iowa Girl Eats! […]
[…] a great twist on a crowd-pleasing stuffing recipe for your holiday table, I love this Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing from Iowa Girl Eats. Kristin makes her version with wild rice, bacon, cranberries and almonds, but […]
I made this to go with a smoked chicken. Our friends couldn’t get enough. Was very tasty!!
[…] Stuffing {All Day I Dream About Food} Butternut Squash & Leek Stuffing {Love & Lemons} Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing {Iowa Girl Eats} Vegan Stuffing with Mushrooms {Veggie […]
This is delicious! You can modify it for whatever you have on hand. One time I used raisins and pecans. I don’t usually use the mushrooms and it comes out great. Love it!
Since I’ve had to start eating Gluten free ice been struggling with giving up traditional stuffing. I’ve tried gluten free bread stuffing recipe only to be missing the traditional stuff my dad would make….not any more!!!! Thank you so much! This recipe is so delicious I made it the day before, to save myself some stress the day of, and can’t stop ‘testing’ it. 😁
I don’t usually comment on blogs, but I just have to say something. I had a dinner party last night and made this rice stuffing to go along with your pork tenderloin with fig and chili pan sauce. OMG. Everyone raved about the food, and my husband said it was my best cooking all year. All my guests wanted the recipes. I’ll be making more things from your site from now on for sure!