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Pioneer Woman’s Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole (Giveaway Winners Announced!)

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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!)

Pioneer Woman's Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole
 
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Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!”
Notes
Says Ree, “Beware: This heavenly side dish takes everything you ever knew about broccoli-rice casserole and turns it upside down, shakes it up, messes with it, rearranges it, and totally changes things forever. The wild rice adds a nice chewiness and color, and my homemade approach to cream of mushroom soup might keep you from ever cracking open another can of the stuff as long as you live. This is utterly luscious.”
We agree, Ree.

 

About Pam Anderson

Pam Anderson considers herself Every Cook. A New York Times bestselling author, she has been cooking nearly everyday for over 30 years. With seven published books, she brings satisfying recipes and sage advice to both novice and veteran cooks. Whether you’re on a quest for the perfect brownie, wanting to get dinner on the table effortlessly, hoping to entertain more simply, attempting to shed pounds permanently, or looking to eat delicious meatless, Pam can help. AARP’s official food expert, she is a chef contributor at Runner’s World magazine. Pam is former Executive Editor of Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Her food articles have appeared in many food magazines. She teaches cooking classes across the country and appears frequently on TV and radio. She currently is blogging at her new site, Copper House Events.

2,543 Comments

  13. Judy says

    My homemade sausage stuffing. After that fresh green bean cassarole…no canned soup in this recipe. I love Ree’s recipes and will definitely be making the wild rice/broccoli cassarole this weekend!!

    Reply

  15. Kristin says

    I’m going to try (for the first time) making my Grandma’s noodles! It sounds weird, but I grew up with these special noodles on my mashed potatoes (instead of gravy) – it’s amazing!

    Reply

  17. Karen graham says

    I love making Broccoli/Cauliflower steamed with a bit of olive oil and crushed garlic. Yummy. Even my hyper-critical Mother-in-law liked it.

    Reply

  18. Laurie says

    Any food at any holiday is something to look forward too but being with family is the best recipe in the world! If I had to choose one would be mashed potatoes and gravy, what a comfort food!

    Reply

  20. Jacquie Morneau says

    I love my homemade sausage & bread stuffing. I like it hot with gravy or cold on a sandwich. I make extra and put it wayyyyyyy in the back of the frig, that way when there is none left at the dinner table I can just smile to myself and laugh. Next day, stay out of my way 🙂 LOL

    Oh how I would just love this book, Ree is such an amazing cook. Love this site, been here a few times to “nab & grab” a few recipes.

    Reply

  22. Cheryl Norton says

    I’m looking forward to the broccoli and rice casserole; both are big favorites in our home and we need something new and flavorful. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

    Reply

  32. Cameron says

    I like to try a new sweet potato recipe every year! I think this year I’m going to go with a recipe from a book I recently bought for glazed and baked sweet potatoes. Have to satisfy my insatiable sweet tooth… 😉

    Reply

  36. Sue says

    My favorite has always been the stuffing/dressing. When I was a kid, my dad would mix it up in a huge kettle and we would all stand around tasting it until it was right. He usually started with twice as many bread cubes as he ended up with!

    Reply

  37. Diamond Chamberlin says

    I made my first pecan pie ever for my boyfriends birthday. They turned out awesome!!! Can’t wait to make a couple more for Thanksgiving…

    Reply

  38. Marsha Saenz-Jones says

    Our family always does a potluck Thanksgiving. I’ve never been satisfied with the way my mashed potatoes transport. They’re never as light and fluffy as when I first make them. I’m anxious to try Ree’s recipe this year and see how they work out.

    Reply

  41. Joyce Sandusky says

    I can’t wait for turkey sandwiches Thanksgiving night after everyone has gone home and the kitchen is clean and I have on my pajamas.

    Reply

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