Rice Stuffing With Butternut Squash

By gstark

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 2 cups wild rice blend
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 cups chopped peeled butternut squash (1/2-inch cubes)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch leeks (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 90mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and bay leaves, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook as the label directs; drain well. Discard the bay leaves. Spread out the rice on a baking sheet to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the broth, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Stir in the rice, squash, leek-broth mixture, cranberries and parsley. Transfer to the baking dish; top with the pecans. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into small cubes; scatter over the pecans. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden, about 20 more minutes.

Stale bread is best for stuffing. If you're using fresh, spread out the cubes on baking sheets and dry in a 300 degrees F oven, 15 to 20 minutes.

Photograph by Ryan Dausch