Place rice along with stock and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil
1¾ cup stock, ¼ teaspoon salt
Place lid on pan and simmer for 45 minutes until rice is fully cooked. Turn off heat and let rice rest with lid on for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Stuffing
Saute celery and shallots together in a pan until soft, about 5-7 minutes
2 tablespoons butter, 3 stalks celery, ½ cup shallots
Move celery and shallots to one side of pan and add mushrooms. Allow mushrooms to cook for 2-3 minutes before stirring. Stir once and then after they have release a lot of their liquid, stir them in with the celery.
6 ounces mushrooms
Add fresh herbs and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds
Place cooked rice, sauteed mushroom mixture, cranberries and pecans in a large bowl. Toss lightly to mix.
½ cup dried cranberries, ⅓ cup pecans
Taste and add a bit of salt and pepper if needed.
salt, pepper
Serve warm or allow to cool and use as a stuffing in a turkey or bird
Notes
Select a regular cook wild rice blend, not an instant rice blend
If using dried herbs, reduce amount by half
The flavor of the herbs will continue to develop the longer the dressing sets.
Make ahead tipsThis stuffing is perfect for making ahead of time, which makes getting a holiday dinner together so much easier. Everything that you can do ahead of time means one less thing you need to prepare on the big day.
Prepare as directed and allow stuffing to cool
Cover and refrigerate for up to three days
To serve as a side dish, place in a casserole dish and cover with foil
Place in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through
If stuffing feels a bit dry, just drizzle a bit of broth over the top before baking
Stuffing can also be reheated in the microwave
To stuff a turkey
Prepare as directed and allow stuffing to cool to room temperature or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead of time
Place stuffing in cavity of a turkey, chicken or cornish hen
Bake until bird is fully cooked through. In a turkey, the temperature of the thigh should be 180°F, the breast 170°F and the stuffing should be 165°F.