Cold temps are finally coming our way so it’s time to start making cozy, stick to your ribs meals. This wild rice casserole certainly fits the bill as it’s filled with nutty wild and brown rice, mushrooms, gruyere cheese, eggs and tarragon. Even though it may sound a little heavy, it surprisingly leans on the slightly more virtuous side. Whole grains, meaty mushrooms and moderate amounts of dairy and cheese add up to a very savory casserole that’s scented with tarragon with a crusty, cheesy top.
About the cookbook Supernatural Everyday.
This recipe comes from Heidi Swanson’s James Beard award-winning book Supernatural Everyday. It’s a book I’ve had for several years and have used for vegetarian and whole food cooking inspiration. The thing I like about Heidi’s recipes is the way she makes healthier eating not feel like just twigs and leaves. I don’t feel as though I’m missing out on anything with her recipes and she doesn’t omit ingredients that some diets would cut out, like cheese, eggs and potatoes. These ingredients are just used with more restraint. Her recipes focus on food that is natural, unprocessed and made in imaginative ways.
The wild rice casserole recipe was ALMOST perfect for me. The only thing that confused me was how the tarragon was utilized. It was only a garnish on the top of the casserole after baking. Now, I love tarragon and I don’t use it enough. So, when there’s an excuse to use it, I want to incorporate it. I thought the herb paired so well with the nutty rices and mushrooms, so I added more to the casserole mixture itself. If the anise flavored herb is not for you, just use thyme instead. If you don’t love mushrooms, just leave them out.
I may have also added a tiny bit more gruyere cheese and chives as a garnish. Other than that, it’s a pretty perfect recipe. I was surprised with how well the cottage cheese just melts into the casserole and adds a nice, light creaminess. There’s so much umami flavor happening too. The rice and cheese make for a crunchy top that’s very satisfying. I’m not even going to suggest any substitutions or additions as I usually do because I can’t think of a single thing I’d want to add.
A note about cooking wild and brown rice for the casserole.
The only thing that may seem a bit annoying is that you need cooked and cooled wild and brown rice to make this recipe. You can just use one kind of rice but I highly recommend using both, as the brown rice is sort of creamy against the nutty chewiness of the wild rice. The easiest way to cook both rices together is with a rice cooker. If you have one that cooks brown rice, just cook one cup with a 50:50 ratio of brown and wild rice, using the amount of water marked for brown rice. I’ve done this many times and it always works. I’ll leave a note in the recipe card on how to cook brown and wild rice together on the stove.
Sometimes I’ll buy cooked brown rice from my Japanese or Chinese restaurant or the hot food bar at my local Whole Foods. You can also buy pre-cooked, frozen brown rice in most stores these days. Asian grocery stores also sell pre-cooked rice in vacuum sealed packages. Then, all you have to do is cook wild rice, which can be made several days ahead.
Make it ahead!
Like a lot of casseroles, you can assemble this one ahead of time. I’d only recommend doing this one or two days ahead. Then bake as instructed when desired. The rice is definitely something you should make ahead, as it needs to be room temp anyway. The next time you are making rice, cook extra and keep it in the freezer. Leftover casserole is great for several days and reheats well. I’ve been enjoying the leftovers with just some sautéed greens or a salad or with some roasted chicken.
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Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) cottage cheese
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp dijon or whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp tarragon leaves, roughly chopped (may substitute thyme instead)
- ½ tsp salt
- a few grinds of black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 8 ounces (225 g) cremini (chestnut) mushrooms, chopped in a large dice
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cooked wild and/or brown rice, room temp (see notes for cooking instructions)
- ½ cup (23 g) gruyere cheese, grated
- chopped chives or scallions, for garnish (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(180°C). Brush the baking dish with a little soft butter or olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, sour cream, mustard, eggs, tarragon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the chopped onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat, add the rice and stir to combine. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add the rice mixture to the egg mixture. Stir well to combine. Pour into the baking dish, top with most of the gruyere cheese (reserve about 3 tablespoons), cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 20 minutes more or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and garnish with chopped chives or scallions, if desired. Serve.
Notes
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If you’ve made any of my recipes, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook with #cookbooksonrepeat. I’d love to see your creation! Likewise, let me know in the comments what you think!
Love, love the idea of cheese! I need to try this!
This looks delicious! I will definitely be trying it!
I hope you do! Thank you.
This looks so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
You had me at mushrooms and gruyère. Classic combination. This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!
Thanks, it really is. I absolutely hoarded the leftovers for myself. Ha!
This looks so yummy! I love that you include both wild and brown rice!
Thanks so much!