At your Thanksgiving table, stuffing is almost as important as the turkey itself! While for many families, stuffing comes from a box, anyone living gluten free and/or milk/dairy free (or with other food allergies) knows that this is not your only option! While traditional bread-based stuffing is not off the table (so many gluten free breads are available nationwide!), I know that I can't wrap my head around chopping up a $6 loaf of bread to throw into a side dish! On a much more economic note, wild rice makes for a fabulous stuffing -- both baked in your turkey or not, this quick and easy stuffing is addictively delicious year after year!
Because our Thanksgiving table tends to be rather small, we usually make a full batch and freeze half in quart-sized freezer bags to have on hand. This stuffing only gets better after a day or two in the fridge and makes for a festive treat (not to mention super easy side dish!) the rest of the year.
- Wild Rice Stuffing with Cranberries and Hazelnuts - Gluten Free & Dairy Free
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or non-dairy alternative
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 6 3/4 cups (1 Qt + 2 3/4 cups) chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups wild rice
- 2 cups long-grain brown rice
- 2 cups dried cranberries (Craisins)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 TBSP fresh thyme, minced
- 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
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Melt butter or margarine in a large, heavy stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute, until just frgrant. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add wild rice and cover, reducing heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in brown rice, recover and simmer until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (30-35 minutes). Stir in cranberries and herbs and continue to cook until the remaining liquid has been absorbed. Stir in hazelnuts and chopped green onions, season with salt and pepper to taste.
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To bake stuffing in a turkey:
Loosely pack stuffing into the main cavity of your turkey. Pour remaining stuffing into a greased ceramic or glass baking dish and cover with greased foil (butter/oil side down). Cook turkey as per instructions and bake the dish of stuffing alongside for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. -
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To bake all of stuffing separately:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a large (15x10x2-inch) baking dish (glass or ceramic). Pour/scrape stuffing into the baking dish and cover with greased foil (butter/oil side down). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.
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