Several years ago, my mother ditched our traditional cornbread dressing recipe for Thanksgiving and instead served a wild rice dressing.
At first, I was appalled. I had grown up on cornbread dressing and that is what I expected at my holiday dinner table, by golly! This wild rice imposter simply would not do.
But after a few bites, I realized something: it was really good. Like, REALLY good. It exploded with flavor in every bite. There was sharp green onions, sweet dried cranberries (that plump up after cooking) and nutty pecans sprinkled all throughout.
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The best part of it was it tasted amazing served warm OR cold. I was smitten. In love. Wild rice dressing, how dare you change my idea on what dressing SHOULD be?!
After that holiday, we didn’t have it again. I’m not sure why. I think maybe too many people are stuck in their ways and have to have the traditional Thanksgiving spread.
But some people just can’t have that traditional spread. A lot of people now try to stick to a gluten-free diet, whether that be for health reasons (Celiac or allergies) or diet reasons (low-carb). That’s where a good wild rice dressing steps in.
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Wild rice dressing is gluten-free, and the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table especially if you have someone who has dietary restrictions. It’s a great replacement for regular dressing/stuffing, and it’s a great side dish that lots of people will love.
Choosing your Wild Rice
When you make this dressing, you need to make sure you get the correct type of wild rice.
I always use a wild rice blend, which typically includes brown & red rice as well. Wild rice by itself can be a little much for people, so the blend works perfectly.
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This is the brand I’ve always used. Just beware: the red rice leaches some of its color into the water. Once you’re done boiling it, you might see a lot of that red has come off the rice.
It doesn’t affect the taste whatsoever.
Adding Your Mix-Ins
This wild rice dressing recipe is made entirely on the stove top, so you end up having to mix in a lot of ingredients into the pan. I stuck with some holiday favorites (nuts & cranberries) but I also amped up the savory portion of the dish by adding shredded Parmesan, sauted mushrooms and crispy bacon.
You could use a different cheese in place of the Parmesan. I recommend shredded Emmentaler, Fontina, or Gruyere.
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Don’t skip out on adding the bacon or the fresh green onions, though. Those two ingredients really enhance the flavor profile of this wild rice dressing making it craveable.
Enjoy!
Easy Stove Top Wild Rice Dressing
A sweet and savory gluten-free dressing that's perfect for the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Ingredients
Directions
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove to a plate.
- Add mushrooms, shallot and butter to bacon drippings. Saute over medium high heat until shallots are tender and mushrooms are browned, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat wild rice blend, water, chicken buillon and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, simmering, for 45-50 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender, stirring every once in a while.
- Stir rice blend into mushroom skillet. Push mixture to the side and add almonds. Let almonds toast in pan for 1-2 minutes then mix all together with the rice mixture. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Add in Parmesan, cranberries and reserved crispy bacon and stir. Serve topped with sliced green onions.
