The Covered Dish - Wild Rice Casserole

A new recipe coming your way this week. I already had a version or two of this dish in my files, but I liked this approach because it was so fast going together. We all know how important our time is especially in the summer months! One thing I do hate to share is the fact there are 2 cans of commercial canned soup in the dish. Many of you know I like to steer clear of pre-made soups mostly due to the sodium contents. However; every now and then I too like to break a few rules and implement it into a recipe.
First, let’s quickly chat about the wild rice. You can soak wild rice overnight with about 2 inches of water over the top of the rice. This will help the wild rice cook at about the same rate as the white rice. I didn’t have time to do this because I decided rather short-notice to make the dish. So instead I cover the rice with ample water and cooked it about 40 minutes in the microwave, drained it and then brought it into the recipe. Remember; wild rice is really not a rice but a wild grain.
The meat choice in this dish could be just about anything from chicken to pork pieces, I used boneless country ribs from the 4th of July! I think you could even get by using a sausage in this during the winter months. After studying the original recipe I came back with a few changes that were definitely worth the modifications. Mostly I used more seasonings as there were none in the original recipe. I also added the water chestnuts because my spouse loves them. If I were doing this in the fall I would even consider adding nutmeats and perhaps some dried cherries. Lastly; what about the meat? Why couldn’t you just make the rice dish without the meat period. It would be delicious served with pork chops, turkey or chicken. Definitely lots to ponder on the content. You’ve got the liquid to dry figured out for you so the sky’s the limit.
This would also be great with a wild game supper! It would be excellent with venison, elk, or buffalo. There’s a few types of fish I also might consider, but definitely not fried fish.
I also used meat that was already cooked so there was no need for me to brown the meat before it went in the dish.
This week we made a one day drive up to the Kansas City area just so I could see my sis’ son, as he came back from Portland for a visit. Ervin and I were tired kids by the time we got home that night. We also squeezed in an evening meal in Liberty, Mo at the Fish Market. It was a great deal of fun, but very busy and ‘loud’ on a Friday night. Would I go back? Yes, I thought the potato salad was very good and rather different. The fried foods also were not ‘over’ fried, which you frequently come across when dining out. I just turned to Ervin and said let’s go to lunch the next time. The restaurant is located where the legendary Liberty Fish Market was on ‘old’210 Highway. I went there myself for frog legs back in the day. Yes, frog legs were also on the menu. We joined a couple of friends that evening and had a great time.
My friend, Linda, up in the Independence area should give this place a run.
Let’s set the recipe and dig into another meal prep or project. I hope you have an outstanding week my friends. Simply yours, The Covered Dish.


Wild Rice Casserole
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
1 1⁄2 lbs. Pork, chicken or sausage in small pieces (Raw or pre-cooked)
1 (5 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts
1 can chicken and rice soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of water
1⁄2 cup uncooked white rice
1⁄4 cup wild rice, soaked overnight in water
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon savory leaves
Large saute pan 9 x 13 baking pan, aluminum foil, spray Pam.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In saute pan place the butter, onion, celery and mushrooms and saute. If the meat has not been cooked already add it to the pan and cook until done. You may need to bring in additional butter or maybe some olive oil, if the meat has not been cooked.
Once you are done in the skillet it is time to gather a large bowl and combine all remaining ingredients. Mix everything together, and place in a well-greased 9 x 13 baking pan. I also covered mine with foil, so the moisture stays in the dish. The original recipe said to bake for 1 1⁄2 hours, but mine was totally ready in one hour. This will definitely serve 12 persons, if it’s on a buffet I’m sure it will go even further. Be sure to read notes in this column for other possible changes and modifications. Just had a last minute thought, a little sherry added to the saute and reduction portion might be rather good!