Creamy Wild Rice Casserole with Sausage and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole grain wild rice
• 1 pound sage pork sausage ((such as Jimmy Dean brand))
• 1 large yellow onion, (chopped)
• 6 large cloves garlic, (minced)
• 1 pound portabella mushrooms, (chopped)
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, (chopped)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• kosher salt, (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper, (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Wild Rice ---

2. 2

   In a large pot (big enough to add the creamy sausage and mushroom mixture to later) over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Thoroughly rinse the wild rice in a fine mesh colander under running water. Once broth is boiling, stir in wild rice. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook 50-60 minutes. The wild rice is done when a good portion of it is split open and some of it is curled. Drain away any excess liquid, fluff with a fork, and set aside.

3. 3

   --- Casserole ---

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 325°F.

5. 5

   While wild rice is cooking, start frying the sausage. In a very large skillet with tall sides, over medium to medium-high heat, fry the sausage and onion together. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking up the sausage into bite-size pieces. Stir in garlic and mushrooms. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and the onions and mushrooms have completely softened.

6. 6

   Add butter, cream, and soy sauce to the sausage mixture. Then add this mixture to the pot of cooked and drained wild rice. Stir thoroughly to combine. Taste test, adding salt and pepper as needed. This dish should have plenty of flavor - don't be afraid to add salt, or even a bit more of the soy sauce. And I LOVE lots of black pepper!

7. 7

   Transfer wild rice mixture to a large casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Stir and bake for 20 minutes more. Stir and bake for 10 minutes. Mixture should be hot all the way through. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.