Challah and Wild Rice Stuffing
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
I am one of those people who loves Thanksgiving food. I take the holiday very seriously. My preparations begin in September, when I make and freeze gallons of turkey stock, and end with a multi-page spreadsheet detailing every aspect of prep from the Saturday before Thanksgiving up through the big day.
From identifying every serving dish and utensil with a series of Post-Its to what should be in the oven at every minute on the day, nothing is left to chance.
Despite my somewhat militaristic approach to prep, I find Thanksgiving food to be pure comfort, and each year, it is a joy to share the meal with family and friends.
Stuffing is one of my very favorite holiday dishes. Since it is rarely seen outside of the Thanksgiving repertoire, it feels like a festive treat, despite its humble origins. I also love that it is something that can be customized to suit anyone’s tastes, as well as your supply of local ingredients.
Regional preparations include oysters, jalapeños, sausage, chestnuts, dried fruits, cornbread, and much more. I developed this variation to highlight some of my favorite ingredients—including wild rice, a specialty of my home state, Minnesota.
*If you do not have fresh herbs, use about 2/3 less dried herbs.
Challah and Wild Rice Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf challah (18 oz. or 510g)
- 6 tablespoons (80g) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon (15g) olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pint (200g) mushrooms, such as cremini, cleaned and chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped*
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup (30g) chopped parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (200g) cooked wild rice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Up to 2 cups (475mL) turkey stock, or as needed (substitute mushroom or vegetable stock)
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- The first step of toasting the bread can be done several days ahead of time, if desired. Heat your oven to 275ºF (135ºC), or 250ºF (120ºC) convection bake. Cut the challah into large cubes, and spread evenly over one large or two medium sheet pans. Bake until completely dry (when squeezed, the cubes will have no give). This will take about 30 minutes on convection, or 45 minutes to an hour on regular bake. If using immediately, add to a large mixing bowl. Otherwise, cool completely, and place in a Ziploc bag until ready to use.
Step 2
- Once ready to prepare the stuffing, preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC) or 350ºF (175ºC) convection. Butter a large casserole dish with 2 tablespoons butter.
Step 3
- In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the vegetables and sauté until browned. Add the herbs and cook for another 2-3 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
- Set aside to cool, then mix with the bread cubes. Gently stir in the eggs, and add the wild rice. Add mixture to the buttered casserole dish. Now, carefully begin to pour prepared stock evenly over the stuffing, beginning with one cup and checking after every subsequent half cup has been added. When gently squeezed, the stuffing should be almost like a piece of cake—with enough stock absorbed to have completely softened each piece of bread without being wet. Dot stuffing with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Step 5
- Cover the casserole with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and increase the temperature to 425º (220ºC) or 400ºF (200ºC) convection and bake for another 20 minutes. (If you want to cook the stuffing in stages, you can remove it after the first cook, and finish it at the higher temperature to crisp it when the rest of the meal is ready). If you fear you have added too much stock, you can bake it a little longer uncovered at this point to dry it out to the proper texture.
Step 6
- This stuffing can also be prepared inside your bird. Stuff loosely inside the turkey, and roast. Prior to serving, a thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing should read 165ºF (74ºC).
Options: Challah stuffing is my favorite. I love the interplay of the slight sweetness of the bread with the deeply savory, earthy flavors of the vegetables, herbs, and stock. However, you can use any bread you like—sourdough is another nice choice—or purchase stuffing cubes, which are sold in the bakery section of most markets around the holidays.
In accordance with my Thanksgiving battle plan, I do everything a few days ahead of time—toasting the bread, cooking the wild rice, and chopping the vegetables and herbs, keeping them in glass containers in the fridge. This way, everything comes together very quickly on Thanksgiving morning.
Beverage Pairing
By: Olivia
This spectacular stuffing is all about the dance between sweetness, nuttiness, and herbaceousness! Pinot Noir will complement the herbaceous quality while also having a fruitiness that will play well with the sweetness from the challah. Chardonnay will complement the other great component, the nutty wild rice. I would recommend grabbing a red and white wine from Burgundy and maybe opening both for guests to choose from. Look out for Bourgogne Blanc and Bourgogne Rouge when you next shop.
