Southern Pecan And Wild Rice Dressing Recipes

CRANBERRY-PECAN WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 2-quart baking dish. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the rice, parsley, pecans, cranberries and apricots to the onion mixture and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread in the prepared baking dish and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with parsley.

SOUTHERN PECAN AND WILD RICE DRESSING

Steps:

• In a large skillet fry bacon until crisp.
• Add chopped smoked ham and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove ham and bacon and cool. Drain drippings.
• Melt butter and saute onion, and celery for about 4 minutes.
• Season with garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant for about 1 minute.
• Stir in pecans and cook until heated through and fragrant.
• Add rice and apples and stir to coat with the juices for about 1 minute.
• Add water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
• Stir in reserved ham and bacon, green onions, and parsley.
• Allow dish to sit for about 15 minutes before serving so that flavors can meld.

WILD RICE, CRANBERRY AND PECAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Put water and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Heat to simmer, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
• Add cranberries and cook just until all the cranberries are popped, about 3 minutes.
• Do not overcook; you want the cranberries to stay relatively whole.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to a medium-size bowl, leaving the cranberry syrup in the saucepan.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add wild rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add stock, salt, thyme and pepper.
• Heat to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender but pleasantly chewy, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Drain the wild rice of excess cooking liquid, if necessary.
• Add the wild rice mixture and the toasted pecans to the cranberries.
• Toss to mix well.
• Use as a turkey stuffing or bake separately.
• To bake separately, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Place in a buttered 13x9 inch baking dish.
• Bake, covered, until heated through, 30 to 40 minutes.

SOUTHERN RICE PILAF STUFFING WITH HAM, PECANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups broth and bay leaf to boil in medium saucepan. Mix in wild rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook 30 minutes. Mix in white rice. Cover; cook until both are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes more. Transfer rice to large bowl. Discard bay leaf.
• Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ham, onions and celery and sauté until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add collard greens and marjoram and sauté until greens wilt, about 3 minutes. Add mixture to rice. Mix in cubed stuffing, pecans and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix eggs into stuffing.
• To bake stuffing in turkey: Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• To bake all stuffing in pan: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

WILD AND BROWN RICE DRESSING WITH APPLES, PECANS AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, simmer the wild rice in 4 1/2 cups broth, salt to taste, until the grains start to break open; drain off any liquid, return to the pot and stretch a clean kitchen towel beneath the lid and let sit 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a smaller saucepan, simmer the brown rice, with 1 1/2 cups broth, salt, until tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes; turn off heat and stretch a clean kitchen towel under the lid and let sit 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat oil, over medium heat, and cook the onion, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
• Add celery and a generous pinch of salt, and continue cooking another 3 or 4 minutes; stir in garlic, if using, and cook 30 seconds.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; add rices and toss well.
• Increase the heat in the skillet to medium high and add the butter; when the foaming subsides, add apple, stirring until they begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add to the rice mixture; add remaining ingredients, toss and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; grease a large baking dish with butter or oil.
• Transfer rice mixture to baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and warm in oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
• NOTE: The rices can be cooked up to 3 days in advance. The entire dish is better the second day, so you can make it a day ahead and heat the day you are serving it.