If you’re looking to switch up your stuffing routine this holiday season, these Wild Rice Stuffing Portobellos offer a winning combination of traditional flavors with a hearty mixture of wild rice and sausage.
It’s a weird phenomenon, but as a Minnesotan, I get random cravings for wild rice, usually in the fall/winter time when soup season hits. I’ve spoken before about Minnesotans’ obsession with wild rice soup. However, today wild rice is starring in a healthier, more Thanksgiving-style dish.
Healthy Thanksgiving dishes are what I need in my life this week as I recover from an epic long weekend in Vegas, which included an out-of-this-world brunch at Giada, two sweet wins for MN football, Willy Wonka slots, singing at the top of my lungs to Boyz II Men, and bonding with a few of my favorite people.
It was almost 60 degrees here when I left for Vegas last week. Today, I’m facing the cold, snowy reality of MN life. Despite the cold, I’m officially in cozy holiday mode and looking forward to an intimate Thanksgiving with my parents up in (even colder) northern Minnesota at the cabin.
I’m especially excited to get in the kitchen and infuse the cabin with the yummy, comforting smells of Thanksgiving dinner. I’m on veggie side dish, stuffing, and dessert duty this year. For the vegetable side, I’ll be doing a simple salad of shaved brussels, bacon, toasted almonds, craisins, parm, and this balsamic vinaigrette. Dessert will obviously be these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars. For the stuffing, enter these Wild Rice Stuffing Portobellos, a completely Minnesotan take on the traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.
The nutty-flavored wild rice gives this stuffing a texture completely opposite of the bread-soaked version. In addition to the rice, the other two components are browned turkey sausage (any sausage will do) and a quick sauté of onions, garlic, and herbs. All three parts come together into a stuffing for the portobello mushroom caps.
You could, of course, skip the portobello part, but the hearty mushrooms are the perfect serving vessel for this stuffing, and the portobello flavor is a wonderful complement to the sausage and herbs. Plus, you’d miss the best part: the toppings! I sprinkled breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and more chopped herbs on top for the ultimate finishing crunch.
It’s about that time to start making my Thanksgiving grocery list. As I sign off before the long holiday weekend, I’d like to send a big THANK YOU your way for trying my recipes, reading, commenting, and supporting this little blog. I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!
- 6 large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 pound raw turkey sausage (or any kind of sausage)
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2½ cups cooked wild rice
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Fresh chopped herbs like sage, thyme, and parsley
- Precook the mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the mushrooms caps in a large casserole dish. Drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly tender.
- Prepare the stuffing: Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the turkey sausage and poultry seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes or until browned. Remove sausage from the pan and transfer to a plate. Add in the onion and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Cook until softened. Add in the garlic, sage, and thyme. Cook for another minute. Add in the cooked wild rice and sausage, and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Bake the mushrooms: Spoon equal portions of the stuffing into the portobello mushroom caps. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese. Top each stuffed mushroom with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs.
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
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