Savory Wild Rice and Cornbread Stuffing

A savory accompaniment to roasted chicken or Thanksgiving turkey, this stuffing combines nutty-flavored wild rice with crumbled skillet cornbread, sausage, and plenty of fresh herbs. Baking the cornbread in a skillet ensures a buttery, toasted bottom crust. Rather than cube the bread, I crumble it before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. Wild rice adds even more texture.

Since I will make this recipe many times during the holiday season, I keep fresh herbs on the windowsill for easy clipping. Whether you serve it for a holiday or cozy weeknight dinner, classic Thanksgiving sides like cranberry sauce and roasted vegetables round out the plate. The scent of fresh sage, marjoram, thyme, and parsley will put you in a festive mood even if the holidays seem far away.

Ingredients

Cornbread
1 ¼ cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
¼ cup mild olive oil
¼ cup honey
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter
Additional butter for preparing skillet or baking dish

1 cup uncooked wild rice (aim for 3 cups cooked)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds sausage out of casing
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions chopped
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup low-salt chicken stock
2 eggs

How to Make the Cornbread

First prepare the cornbread. This step can be done in advance. Since the cornbread will be crumbled but not toasted before adding to the rest of the stuffing ingredients, I like to bake it in a large cast iron skillet (10 to 12 inches) to ensure the bottom gets a nice toasted crust. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can bake it in a buttered 8 or 9 inch square baking dish for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Preheat the skillet over medium-low heat. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs into buttermilk and add to cornmeal mixture along with melted butter, olive oil, and honey. Stir until just combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in the skillet, allowing it to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in the cornbread batter.

Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove cornbread to a cooling rack to cool completely.  If making ahead, wrap cornbread once fully cooled.

How to Cook the Wild Rice

In the meantime prepare the wild rice. The ratio of wild rice to water is less precise than other types, as is the cooking time. Fortunately leftover water in the pan does not ruin its texture and can be drained at the end of cooking.

We will be using 3 cups in the recipe, which generally can be prepared from about 1 cup of uncooked rice. Rinse the rice. Add to a medium saucepan with 2 ½ cups water and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 to 50 minutes. Wild rice is done when it is tender and chewy. You will find that most of the grains have split open. If the rice has not reached this state, you may need to cook it slightly longer. Strain to remove any excess water that remains in the pot after cooking then fluff with a fork.

How to Cook the Sausage and Seasonings

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook sausage until browned, crumbling into smaller pieces as it cooks. Spoon sausage into a large bowl in which you will mix the stuffing.

Melt butter in same skillet. Add chopped onion and cook until onions are softened and translucent. Season well with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs.

How to Prepare the Stuffing

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk egg into chicken stock. Roughly crumble cornbread on top of sausage in large bowl. Make sure the pieces aren’t too small, as they will break apart when stirring with the rest of the ingredients. Add onion and herb mixture and 3 cups wild rice. Toss gently to combine. Add whisked stock and egg and toss until thoroughly combined. Evenly distribute stuffing in a buttered 9” x 13” baking dish, pressing top gently to compact.. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 10 to 15 or until it reaches your desired level of browning on top.