Gathering the Ingredients

Happy Friday! Told ya I’ve been practicing for Gobble Gobble Day! So this was a hands on experiment. I’ve just never been wild about my dressing for the Holidays. So I’ve been on a crusade the last few weeks. I poured over recipes and landed on this jewel. Tried it I did. Report Card: a resounding A+. May I hear a Whoop please!! *Note: You may notice melted butter drizzled over the dressing in the casserole dish pic below. The original recipe called for this, but I didn’t think it added anything except extra calories; therefore I left it out of the recipe here! Hello delicious!

1 lb ground sausage
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 cups wild rice
4 Tbs butter
2 onions, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t dried sage
1 1/2 t dried thyme
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
3 cups Panko

Butter, Onion, Celery, Herbs, Broth

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook sausage over medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes.
Drain on paper towels.
Chop sausage to render fine crumbles.
Bring broth, water, and bay leaf to boil in soup pot.
Add rice and reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer 25 minutes, until rice is tender.
Strain rice through colander, reserving 1 1/2 cups liquid.
(If you don’t have that much liquid, add chicken broth to make it right amount.)
Wipe out pot.
Melt butter in pot over medium heat.
Add onions and celery.
Cook 8 minutes, until tender.
Add garlic, sage, and thyme.
Cook 30 seconds.
Add reserved rice liquid, stir, and remove from heat.
In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper.
Slowly whisk this into broth and vegetable mixture.

Stir in rice, Panko, and sausage.
Transfer to 9 x 13 baking dish.
Cover loosely with foil.
Bake 40 minutes.
Uncover and cook additional 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Let dressing rest 10 minutes prior to cutting.