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.
Andouille cornbread dressing!
Brussels sprouts and dressing!
Can’t wait to make some copper penny carrots! ummmh. Yumme.
I can’t wait for my homemade stuffing I use dates and pecans along with celery and onions can’t wait.
For me, the holidays are about the memories. I can’t wait to make some of my family’s traditional dishes like three day stuffing. I am making the appetizers this year and the first one is blackberry merlot jelly and cream cheese spread.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I can’t wait to make mashed potatoes!
Love to make cranberry sauce, and also dressing.
Anything my 71 year old mom cares to contribute is always a favorite, but her walnut pies and cracker salad cannot be beat! Personally, I need this cookbook to change up MY repertoire this year! .
I can’t wait to make green bean casserole! It’s one of my absolute faves but my husband doesn’t like it so we rarely make it outside of Thanksgiving. I also can’t wait to have some pie, I’ve been dieting and rarely eat dessert so I’m super excited for Thanksgiving!! 🙂 Thanks for the awesome giveaway, love your blog and PW!
Stuffing, orange-cranberry relish AND broccoli wild rice casserole! YUM!
I am looking forward to making pumpkin pie and pecan chocolat chip pies. Yummy!!!
I cannot wait to try a new recipe I made up for stuffing with dried cheeries, walnuts,onions,parsley, cooked using homemade chicken stock. It has a very rich intense taste.
Can’t have Thanksgiving without dressing!
Broccoli-Wildrice Cassarole
Cannot wait to give it a trial run…learned to love and cook wild rice while living in MN. We love your show and your family…..also love to see you cook and we learn new things. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Can’t have Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce.
Stuffing
I just love how her recipes have step by step pictures. This looks so good might be adding it to the holiday meal
I can’t wait to make a new variation of green bean casserole this year.
Green bean casserole
Green bean casserole is always a favorite to make!
Candied sweet potatoes!
I will make this casserole for thanksgiving!! it will be perfect with my other sides! and, requested by all grandchildren, my special pumpkin pie!!! has a layer of cream cheese and cool whip! yum!
I can’t wait to make and eat my pumpkin cheesecake! I only make it twice a year. 🙂
I love watching Ree. I would love to have one of her new cookbooks. If I win one I can take that off my list for Santa and maybe add some Diamond Earrings…lol what ya think?…
My favorite dish is my Mom’s Dressing that she makes from scratch, then the Sweet Potato Casserole with the nut topping and (I could eat this for dessert) is Cranberry Congealed Salad. It is wonderful! Thanks so much for offering a chance at Ree’s cookbook.
Sausage and sage dressing with real bread! My family loves it.
We are going to try make ahead mashed potatoes and sausage stuffing this year.
Stuffing and the turkey, I cant wait especially since I dont have to cook.
My favorite dish at Thanksgiving is Chocolate Sheet Cake!
Corn puddin’ sistah!
I can’t wait for all of it!!!
Homemade cranberry sauce.
we love dressing and i make it several times a year. we like it cold and sliced like bread to eat.
My mom’s old fashioned cornbread stuffing. It’s not Thanksgiving until
I get a bite of that, or smell it cooking – it’s home. 🙂 I want to make it for my kids this year. (I looked at Ree’s cookbook in Barnes and Noble, DrOOL, loved it so much -texted a pic to my mom to ask for it for Christmas)…Beautiful cookbook!
I love turkey and pumpkin pie!!
The Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole looks just DELISH!!
Can’t wait for the dressing (or as some people call it stuffing).
I am really looking forward to making and eating my sisters famous Hash brown Casserole! She taught me to make it years ago and it has become a staple at holiday meals. My daughter loves it so much, she says we could just give her a dish of it every day to feed her. Because of that we now call it “Charlie Chow”! LOL
Pumpkin pie cheesecake is my favorite
yellow turnips
mmm I LOVE her green bean casserole and mashed potatoes recipes!
Cranberry Apple Crisp
I can’t wait to make roasted sweet potatoes with Vidalia onions. So simple but delish!
The Brussels sprouts are on my list to make for the holiday of thanksgiving!
Ree’s Acqorn Squash!
I cant wait to try the Broccoli-Rice casserole as a new side this Thanksgiving.
Actually it’s not a holiday recipe, but my husband and soon-to-be 2 year old son are celebrating theirs birthdays together at the family Thanksgiving meal. So I get to make peanut butter pie for Daddy and fun cupcakes for my son!
I can’t wait to make my grandmother in law”s traditional sausage stuffing. It is so good and always brings back memories of having her at our thanksgiving table.Keeping her alive!
Looking forward to making Cinnamon Pie, my late Mother-law’s recipe.
I cant wait to try a new Cornbread stuffing with sausage & rice.