Wild Rice (my mom's recipe, mostly)

This is something that is a standard for us on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, but it’s so good I should make it more often. These amounts make a lot, but you can size down to fit the crowd you have. Most kids like this, too.

Make the wild rice. One cup uncooked rice makes three cups cooked, so cover with lots of water and throw in a couple chicken bouillon cubes. This takes about 45 minutes to cook. It’s done when the rice has popped open to reveal the white inside. You probably have to drain it.

Long-grained white rice, make about one cup cooked.
Brown rice, I use Hawaiian brown rice for this, but any brown will do. Make about one cup cooked.

1 good-sized onion, diced
2–3 stalks celery, diced
Saute both together in a little olive oil until soft.

Crumble 1 pound pork sausage into this and cook until browned. I use Jimmy Dean’s regular pork sausage that comes in the tube, but you can use any kind.

When the sausage is browned, add a can of drained, sliced water chestnuts and a can of drained, sliced mushrooms.

Season with sage, parsley, a little basil, and black pepper.

Mix rices together and then mix in the sausage mixture. Put into a baking casserole and bake about 45 minutes at 350°. I think the flavor is better if baked for a half-hour, refrigerate overnight, and bake another half-hour before serving.

Short cut, if you want: You can cook Uncle Ben’s Original Long-Grained and Wild Rice in place of the white and brown rices. Then, don’t add the herbs, as Uncle Ben’s has a lot in it already.