Not to be a Debbie downer, but consider yourself lucky if you are off for Thanksgiving.
I have to work…my choice. A trade off so that I can be home on Christmas and New Years Day. It’s left me feeling a little sorry for myself as the holiday draws near, my husband’s short work week grinds to a halt, and he prepares to take our kids to his parents’ house in Cambridge for a Thanksgiving overnight visit while I stay behind.
So…
What have I done this week to console myself, you ask?
-I’ve done this to my house,
-I’ve listened to this while I’ve done the above mentioned,
-I’ve indulged in a bit of this,
-I’ve contemplated some of our nuttier holiday traditions
-I visited this (put on by the hospital where I work)
and I’ve made myself some comfort food!
Sadly, last week was also the last farm box pickup of the season. Our take home bounty was overflowing thanks to R.J. Calder and the rest of the generous folks at Breezy Willow Farm. In addition to the usual assortment of seasonal vegetables, we scored fresh eggs, apple cider, fresh baked bread, and three varieties of apples.
This dish is adapted from a recipe by Heidi Swanson in her book, Super Natural Every Day. The addition of smoked Gouda makes it creamy, and a variety of mushrooms deepens the flavor to makes it more rich and intense.
I hope that you will try this recipe with the addition of some leftover turkey.
wild rice and mushroom casserole
3 Cups cooked brown rice, or combination of brown/wild rice (I use the brand pictured, so that I don’t have to cook two different kinds of rice separately)
2/3 cups smoked Gouda, shredded
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped-I used a mixture of baby portobello and shitake
1 cup cottage cheese
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
1 tsp sea salt
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme or tarragon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare casserole dish with butter or olive oil to keep the casserole from sticking.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, and mustard. Set aside. Heat olive oil in large. Add chopped mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes until water starts to evaporate, stirring occasionally. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute the mixture another 1-2 minutes. Mix mushroom mixture into the cottage cheese mixture. Add salt and 1/3 cup of the smoked Gouda and mix well. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered. Top should be lightly golden and slightly darker around the edges. Remove from oven and top with leaves from thyme before serving. Serve with additional shredded cheese, if desired.
