I tend to make most of the same side dishes for Christmas as I do Thanksgiving but I try to change up the menu slightly for Christmas. I’ve had this recipe for years so I’m not 100% sure where it came from but I’m thinking I may have gotten it off a flyer from a cooking store. What I do know for sure is that it wasn’t handed down from a family member. What I will say about this recipe, is that it’s not like most of my recipes. Simple with minimal ingredients. It’s relatively simple but there are just a lot of steps. But it is the Holidays so I always put a little more effort into my cooking this time of year. Anyway, here is what you’ll need for the rice.
- 1 Cup of Wild Rice
- tsp. of salt or more if needed
- 4 cups of water
For the dressing.
- 8 tbs of unsalted butter
- 2 Cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 Cups finely chopped fennel bulb
- 1 Tbs Poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 lb. white bread cut into cubes then toasted in the oven.
- 1 (15oz) jar of steamed chestnuts
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/5 cups Turkey stock
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/5 pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the bread in cubes and toast in the oven for a few minutes.
Prepare the wild rice. Bring four cups of water and 1 tsp of salt to a boil. Add the rice and cover, reducing the heat to low and cook for 1 hr. and 20 min. Stir occasionally. Drain the rice and set aside.
Chop the fennel, onion add poultry seasons, fennel seeds and thyme. Fry in the butter over medium heat in a large pan until the vegetables are tender. Cool.
In a large bowl add the bread, chestnuts, onion mixture and cooked rice. Whisk an egg in a separate bowl, whisk the stock into the eggs. Then combine the eggs into the bowl with the bread mixture. Add salt, pepper and parsley.
Add the dressing to a well greased baking dish, covering with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes until the top is browned.
This looks so yummy!!