Wild Rice Stuffing with Butternut Squash

Wild rice stuffing with butternut squash, pecans, and dried cranberries. This healthy gluten-free stuffing recipe is perfect for sharing over the holidays!

I have a doozy of a confession here, folks.

I’m not a fan of bread stuffing.

BOOM! Can you even believe it?

Or maybe you can relate?

One of my brothers could make the focal point of his entire Thanksgiving feast revolve around the bread stuffing, complete with a mashed potato fortress and a gravy moat.

But not this sista, no sir. There’s just something about the moosh that does me wrong.

And I’m not partial to stuffing that has been stuffed inside the bird cavity, either. Girl’s got stuffing criteria.

But wild rice stuffing (or dressing if you will)? I can dig.

Especially when it’s bedazzled with goodies

Speaking of goodies…

This rice includes several. We’ve got butternut squash, pecans, dried cranberries, and pears – warmly spiced with cinnamon, and herbed-out with parsley.

All these warm fall flavors make for an inviting dish, and guess what? This recipe makes a ton – perfect for you and your 10 Thanksgiving guests to enjoy.

Make this heaping cauldron of non-bread non-stuffing stuffing for your holiday feasts.

Recipe Adaptations:

You can sub in an apple for the pear.

Use walnuts instead of pecans.

Swap in golden raisins instead of dried cranberries.

For the liquid, I used water, but you can use veggie broth or chicken broth. Using chicken broth will yield a more authentic stuffing flavor.  

And that’s it.

How to Make Wild Rice Stuffing:

A little sauté on the veggies, a little steaming of the rice, a little baking in the oven for optimal crisp…you’ve got yourself a gluten-free, vegetarian (or not) stuffing recipe to feed an army of friends and family.

Stuff thy face! 😉

Also check out my Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing!

If you make this stuffing recipe, feel free to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @The.Roasted.Root!

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Butternut Squash, Pears, and Pecans

Yield: 10 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Wild Rice Stuffing with Butternut Squash, Pears, and Pecans is so wildly flavorful, you'll never need another stuffing/dressing recipe!

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 1 bosc pear, peeled, cored and and chopped
• 2 cups wild rice
• 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 3-1/2 cups water, or vegetable or chicken broth
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Place dry rice in a bowl and fill with water. Soak for 10 minutes.
2. Add the oil, onion, celery, and butternut squash to a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the chopped pear, garlic, rice, sea salt, oregano, and cinnamon and stir, saute 3 minutes.
4. Add the dried cranberries, water, wine, orange zest, and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, cook 40 to 50 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the dutch oven, place on the center rack of the oven, and bake 10 to 20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed and top is crispy.
6. Remove from pot from the oven and stir in chopped pecans and fresh parsley. Taste the stuffing and add salt to taste.
7. Serve alongside your holiday entree or use as turkey stuffing.

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 1 of 10
Amount Per Serving Calories 304Total Fat 13gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 45gFiber 7gSugar 16gProtein 8g