Apple Sausage Wild Rice Recipes

WILD RICE STUFFING WITH APPLE & SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place rice in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by about 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour. (Or prepare according to package directions.) Drain well.
• Meanwhile, spread bread on a baking sheet; bake, stirring once halfway through, until dry and crisp, about 25 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees . Coat a 3- to 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• About 15 minutes before the rice is done, cook sausage and leeks in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add apples and celery; cook for 3 minutes more.
• Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl. Add the rice and bread, then stir in broth, cherries, pecans, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake the stuffing for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.

ROAST TURKEY WITH WILD RICE, SAUSAGE, AND APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• For the stuffing: Combine the wild rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and just bursting, about 30 minutes. (Times may very depending on the brand of rice used.) Drain and set aside.
• Adjust an oven rack to lowest position and remove other racks. Preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apple, celery, garlic, thyme, mace, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until it loses most of its rosy color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the cooked wild rice, pecans, and parsley into the vegetable mixture. (This can be made the day before.)
• For the turkey: Remove turkey parts from neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses, if desired. Dry bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Melt the butter together with the poultry seasoning. Salt and pepper inside the bird cavity. Loosely add the stuffing to the cavity and set the bird on a rack in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and brush generously with the seasoned butter, then season with salt and pepper. Tent the top of the bird with foil.
• Roast the turkey for about 2 hours undisturbed. Remove and discard the foil. Baste with the remaining butter. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove turkey from oven and tent with foil for 15 minutes before carving.

COUNTRY WILD RICE WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook, toasting until the rice begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock along with some salt and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon oil along with the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper and a generous pinch of salt and cook until just tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage, thyme and sage, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.
• When the rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat, remove the lid and add the sausage and vegetables. Fluff and stir gently with a fork to combine. Add the rice to a serving dish and sprinkle with the chives before serving hot.

WILD RICE STUFFING WITH APPLES, PECANS AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine the wild rice with 4 1/2 cups stock or water in one saucepan and the brown rice with 1 1/2 cups stock or water in another smaller saucepan. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the brown rice for 35 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat, place a clean kitchen towel over the pot and return the lid. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Simmer the wild rice for 40 to 50 minutes, until the grains have begun to splay. Drain through a strainer if there is liquid in the pot, and return to the pot. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pot and return the lid. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the grains are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the celery and a generous pinch of salt, and continue to cook until the onion is completely tender, another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant, another 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked grains and stir together.
• Return the skillet to the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and when the foam subsides add the apples. Cook, stirring or tossing in the pan, until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the grains. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly oiled or buttered baking dish and cover with foil.
• Warm the stuffing in a 325-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

WILD RICE AND SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Crumble and cook the sausage, drain and set aside.
• Wipe out skillet and add bacon, onion, mushrooms and celery; saute until bacon is crisp and vegetables are slightly softened.
• Add this to the wild rice, along with the oregano, sage and bread crumbs; add cooked sausage; add salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake, covered, in an oiled casserole at 350° for 30-40 minutes; add 1/4 to 1/2 cup stock, if needed, for moisture.