Congratulations to our giveaway winners Adrienne, Heather, Wanda, Mary-Jo and Kiki on winning Ree Drummond’s new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays. Enjoy!
Today we’re featuring Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole, one of Ree Drummond’s Thanksgiving side dishes from her new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays. Even better we’re giving away five copies!
Believe it or not, in her acknowledgements Ree credits me with giving her the idea for this book a few years ago. She ponders whether the idea came while we were sitting in her kitchen “sipping coffee (or was it wine?).” Hmm.
Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I love Ree’s Year of Holidays. Bookended by New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve, this book is exquisitely crammed with recipes, photos, decorating ideas, and tips for all twelve big holidays in between. Imagine, all your favorite holiday recipes—stuff you really want to make—done well and in one place.
As I page through the book, there are so many dishes I want to share with our readers. Like Ree’s brilliantly simple Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries or her to-die-for Caramel Apple Pie. As David was leafing through the book, he stopped at a photo of an Easter brunch plate, pointed to the Eggs in Hash Brown Nests, and boldly proclaimed, “I want that!” And even if there are no kids at my house on Valentine’s Day, I’m definitely making those Candy-Dipped S’Mores.
I also loved all the pictures of the family—Ree’s kids, her mom and dad, her mother- and father-in-law, and her sister, Betsy. There are even some vintage photos of her. These photos make an already great book feel warm and special.
Because I’ll be reaching for it regularly, this book has been added to the select group that actually lives in my kitchen. I am looking forward to this year of holidays, and to adding some wonderful new recipes to our traditional ones.
Thanks for the gift of new holiday inspiration, Ree. You can call me for coffee (or wine!) any time!
Let’s keep it simple. To enter the contest to win one of the five books we’re giving away, leave a comment telling us what dish you can’t wait to make or eat this Thanksgiving. Contest ends this Sunday night, November 17th at 9 PM Eastern Time. We’ll announce winners the following morning.
(I’m pretty excited about trying those Brussels sprouts!)
- 2 cups wild rice or wild rice blend
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 to 3 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1 medium-large onion, cut into small dice
- 1 pound domestic white or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
- 2 celery stalks, cut into small dice
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Place rice in a large saucepan, along with 5 cups of the broth; bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is just tender and broth is almost absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes; set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot of boiling, salted water. Add broccoli florets and cook until bright green and tender crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately drain broccoli and plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and set aside.
- Heat 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms; saute until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery; saute until all of the vegetables are soft and mixture starts to turn golden brown. Sprinkle in flour; stir to incorporate. Stir in remaining 3 cups of broth; bring to a simmer and continue to simmer to thicken slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in heavy cream; continue to simmer to heat through. Remove from heat.
- When ready to assemble, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread half of the rice in a 13- by 9-inch pan or other 2-quart casserole. Add enough broccoli to cover the surface. Repeat layering with remaining rice and enough broccoli to cover the surface. Ladle on sauce to evenly cover the casserole.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss with panko crumbs to coat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over casserole. Cover casserole with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until breadcrumbs and golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve or as Ree would say, “Then dig in!”
We agree, Ree.
I always looked forward to making and eating sweet potato casserole. This year I am making one with coconut on top! Years past I have made yours with chopped pecans and orange juice. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes.Your cookbooks are my “go to” cookbooks.
I can’t wait to make my Grandma’s pumpkin bread! It isn’t Thanksgiving without it!
Sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie!
We always have to have my Mother’s carrots and turnips. A once a year dish.
Cranberry salad. Yummy…
Forget the turkey. I want some really good stuffing!
I can’t wait for Grandmas’s dressing (stuffing). It is on every holiday table and something every one of us looks forward to eating.
Stuffing and gravy.
Tie between sweet potato casserole and the stuffing. And ambrosia. Ah I love Thanksgiving!
We are spending Christmas with our daughter, son in law and first grand son. My daughter has announced we are doing new side dishes this year. New for her because she has never wanted to deviat from our family favorites. I’m adding this recipe to our list. This should not be a hard sell because Emily is huge fan of Ree. Thanks Pam
I look forward to making and eating cornbread and sausage stuffing/dressing every year. It’s my fav… I don’ t know why I don’t make it more often – only that I make so much it takes me more than a week(and then some in the freezer) to eat it all! Can’t wait! thanks!
simple… sweet potato soufflé. Absolute favotite!
I will making homemade Mac and cheese. The recipe is from Naoimi Judd cookbook. It is delish!
Barbequed Pacific Oysters from Tomales Bay
Looking foward to my Grandmothers Apple salad
my mom’s spinach rice casserole !
Can’t wait to eat the cornbread dressing!
turkey marinated Portuguese style. Flavorful and moist without the issue of buckets to store the brined turkey.
Every holiday I look forward to my grandmothers cranberry salad. Lots of whole fruits ground in little pieces and then added to jello. Only time I eat jello. So good!
Pie, pie, pie. And leftovers.
All my life I loved watching my mom make her pumpkin pies the night before Thanksgiving. They were simply divine. Now that she’s gone to God, I make her pumpkin pies. It’s a time to reminisce and have a little time with her in my heart.
STUFFING!!!!! My mom’s stuffing is so delicious I crave it year round!
potato filling is the best. can’t wait for it.
Homemade cranberry sauce
The Brussels sprouts for me too.
Homemade stuffing. Yum!!!
Sweet potato casserole, without a doubt!
I’m so excited to eat my mom’s green beans. And my sister’s melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls.
This recipe sounds great! I can’t wait to have cranberry-apple pie! yum!
I can’t wait to have a slice (or two) of homemade pumpkin pie with a bit of freshly made whipped cream with my family all around me. MMMM…..heaven. It just doesn’t get any better. 🙂
After living overseas for a few years, I will finally be home with family for the holidays. I can’t wait to continue our tradition of gathering to make the pies the night before. While I love dessert (who doesn’t like pie), this one is as much about the process as the end result.
I <3 stuffing!
I think I am most excited about ‘testing’ the turkey, pulling a piece from the leg, right out of the oven, HOT!
I do not celebrate Thanksgiving, as I live in Barcelona, the next big Holiday is Christmas for me and I can’t wait for a good fish that will be served 🙂
Looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with my family and feasting on our table filled with traditional food. The one thing that I made last year and am wanting to repeat is a mouthwatering pumpkin roll. I wish everyone a wonderful, healthy and happy Thanksgiving!
Dressing!!!!! We used to call it ‘Stuffing’ when we cooked it in the turkey. It’s full of sausage, apples, raisins….YUM!!
It would have to be the dressing. Don’t know why I don’t make it more than once a year!!!!
I love making PW’s Fancy Mac and Cheese. This dish made me a superstar with my extended family, and with my hubby and two boys.
Stuffing just love that, I make so much that I eat it for a week.
Potatoes & gravy 🙂
The dressing. It’s so decadent that only once a year is advised!
It’s a toss up between my mom’s cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie! Can’t wait!
We fry a turkey every year. So moist and delish!
I am really pretty disappointed that you are promoting a book written by someone who promotes unhealthy eating.
Do I have to choose???!! The side dishes, though,mare my favorites! Creamed onions maybe,because I only make them once a year!
Pumpkin Pie is a must, with left overs for breakfast the next day!!
Can’t wait for my grandmother’s stuffing and my mom’s cranberry salad!!
Sweet potato pie!
The dish I am looking forward to is stuffing since thanksgiving is the only time I usually make it. And of course it needs to be smothered in turkey gravy or what’s the point??!!! LOL This side dish by Ree looks totally yummy. Might have to give it a cullinary test drive! I’ve been following Ree’s blog since before she was famous … so fun to follow her through this amazing adventure!!
Hard to say which I’m looking forward to the most, the dressing or sweet potatoes! I think my favorite recipe of Ree’s is the Restaurant Style Salsa, make it a lot and have shared the recipe numerous times!