A savoury and subtly sweet vegetarian dish made with wild rice, butternut squash, leeks, cranberries, pecans and seasoned with sage. This baked side dish pairs beautifully with many types of roasts in the fall and holiday season.

What makes this a stand-out dish?

Everyone will be piling their plate with this stand-out side dish. The star is the wild rice which lends a crunchy yet chewy texture with a nutty wholesome flavour. The bright gold butternut squash and red cranberries compliment the rice with a distinctive sweetness, while the pecans add additional texture and earthiness. Scented with fresh sage and ground nutmeg; essential herbs for cooking in the fall and holiday season. A panko breadcrumb and cheese topping finishes the dish off to a golden crisp.

This side dish can also be used to replace a meat based stuffing for a turkey dinner. Since the dish is full of hearty ingredients it can act as a main dish to please the vegetarians at your table. This is why it’s the most popular and requested dish at all our family holiday gatherings.

How to make this dish

Start by cooking the wild and white rice, rinse and drain it, and set aside. Meanwhile prepare all the other ingredients. Cook the butternut squash and leeks in a Dutch oven then add the cooked rice, pecans, cranberries, sage, salt and pepper. Next mix up the topping & filling ingredients (panko breadcrumbs & cheeses) then scoop out about 1½ cups and fold it into the rice mixture. Transfer the rice mixture to a baking dish and top with the remaining panko & cheese mixture. Pop it in the oven to bake until the top and edges are golden crisp.

Ingredients needed to make this dish

Cooking process for making this dish

The dish right out of the oven

Wild rice

What most people don’t know is that wild rice is native to Northern Ontario and other parts of Canada. That’s fortunate for us Canadians who have it easily available all the time! You can find it at bulk food stores and some grocery stores. Although it’s called “rice”, wild rice is actually a grain that is grown in water. Once cooked, the skins swell and some curl slightly to reveal a creamy interior. If you’ve never tried wild rice I strongly suggest you do! It’s exceptionally nutritious, with protein, potassium, zinc, a variety of minerals and vitamins, gluten-free and it’s also a great source of fiber! I love how it adds a gourmet taste to many dishes!

Sage

I happen to grow sage in my garden and since it’s a perennial, I love that it returns year after year. I use it a lot in the summer and fall season and especially love it with many popular savoury fall dishes. I also love to use long stems of sage for fall flower arrangements which gives the room an earthy aroma. Sage leaves are fuzzy and pale green with a woodsy, aromatic scent. If you’re not able to grow sage, it can easily be purchased in the produce section of your grocer at any time of the year. Sage packs a healthy dose of nutrients, minerals and antioxidants and is especially rich in Vitamin K.

Tips for recipe success

Cooking time for wild rice is almost twice that of long grain rice. Follow the recipe directions and cook it for 20 minutes first before adding the white long grain rice. Be sure to rinse the cooked rice to remove the starchy water.
Dice the butternut squash into small ½” cubes to ensure it will cook to tender.
When slicing leeks, make sure you rinse off any gritty debris and remove the tough dark green ends (tip don’t discard the dark green ends – they can be saved for soup stock).
When mixing the ingredients, stir gently so as not to crush the cooked butternut squash.
It’s essential to drizzle the top of the dish with the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil in order to help achieve the golden crunch.

Can I make this dish ahead?

Yes, this dish can be assembled ahead of time! Make it early in the day or a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake. In this case, decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and increase the baking time by 10 – 15 minutes to ensure the dish gets to a piping hot temperature. This makes life so easy when you’re preparing to entertain or asked to bring a side dish to a pot luck dinner.

Although this dish is a favourite for the fall and holiday season, I’ve been know to make it at all times of the year as a main weeknight meal with a salad as a side. This gives me another option for my meatless Monday menus or for entertaining vegetarian guests.

Wild Rice & Butternut Squash Gratin

A vegetarian baked side dish made with wild rice, butternut squash, leeks, cranberries and pecans. The dish is seasoned with fresh sage and warm nutmeg which makes it ideal for fall and holiday entertaining.

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup wild rice
¾ cup long grain rice
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
¼ cup olive oil divided
5 cups ½” diced butternut squash about 1 medium squash
4 cups thinly sliced leeks white and green parts only, about 2 leeks
2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
¾ cup dried cranberries lightly chopped

Topping & filling

1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
1 ½ cups shredded orange or white old cheddar cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Start by cooking the rice ingredients. Boil 6 cups of water in a medium-large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, bay leaf and wild rice. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. After that time has lapsed, add the white long grain rice to the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the rice is tender. Remove saucepan from heat, discard bay leaf, rinse under warm water and drain. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 12” rectangle or oval baking dish by greasing well with oil or cooking spray.
Meanwhile, in a 5 or 6 qt Dutch oven heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add diced squash and cook until golden and tender, about 6 – 8 minutes while stirring often.
Add another 1 tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven along with the leeks. Cook for 5 minutes until the leeks are tender. Remove from heat.
Add the cooked rice, pecans and cranberries to the Dutch oven. Season with sage, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir gently to combine. Leave the mixture in the Dutch oven.
In a medium bowl combine the breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Remove about 1½ cups of the breadcrumb and cheese mixture and add it to the rice mixture in the Dutch oven, stirring gently to combine. Transfer the rice mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the dish and drizzle top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Cover lightly with foil wrap and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes until the top is golden and crispy. Garnish top with additional chopped sage.