This cozy, flavorful Wild Rice Casserole with sausage and mushrooms feels like a big hug. It’s lightly creamy and full of savory flavor, with chewy, earthy-nutty wild rice at the heart of it all. Perfect for holiday dinners, or any time!
This Wild Rice Casserole recipe is decadent, yet extremely down to earth – one of my favorite ways to enjoy wild rice. With sausage and mushrooms, the dish is hearty and flavorful, and can be served as either a main entree or a side. I welcome it any time of year, but it’s especially lovely on a chilly fall or winter day, and a wonderful addition to a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu. (If you’re new to wild rice, also check out my most popular wild rice recipe, my Chicken Wild Rice Soup!)
Why This Hearty Casserole Is One of My Go-To Cozy Dinners
I first enjoyed this creamy Wild Rice Casserole with sausage and mushrooms while on a local pottery tour with my dear friend Annmarie. This favorite stop always offers the most delicious lunch – served on their homemade pottery, of course. We both liked this wild rice dish so much that I even asked if they’d share the recipe. I’m so happy they obliged; it’s remained one of my top cozy dinner recipes! (If you’d like to see more from our day on the pottery tour, just scroll down past the recipe card.)
- Deeply savory and satisfying, and total comfort . Sausage, wild rice, umami-rich mushrooms and soy sauce, and lots of garlic create the most delicious layers of savory flavor. And some cream adds a light richness and welcoming comfort.
- Perfect for make-ahead meals. This creamy wild rice casserole stores really well, and the flavors only improve as it rests.
- Feeds a crowd. This is a generous casserole that yields enough for a party — or enough to enjoy all week long, for easy, hot lunches.
Enjoy!
“I grew up in northern Minnesota – with wild rice! I’ve had many wild rice dishes over the years…and this has now become my go-to recipe. I’ve made it many times this past year, it is always a hit! Absolutely delicious!!”
Lindsay
What You’ll Need
This wild rice casserole includes an unassuming – yet powerful, when combined – list of ingredients. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Chicken broth – I use low-sodium broth to infuse the wild rice with flavor as it cooks.
- Wild rice – Look for wild rice that is whole and 100% wild rice. And preferably Minnesota-grown! Avoid packages that include a blend of wild rice and other rice varieties – this is not the same. While not a requirement, I do prefer whole-grain wild rice (not cracked grains), as this offers the most beautiful appearance and texture.
- Sausage – Sage pork sausage, like Jimmy Dean brand, adds aromatic flavor and a complementary texture to the wild rice.
- Onion and garlic – These build the savory depth of the dish.
- Mushrooms – Use a combination of meaty portabella mushrooms and milder button mushrooms.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter to keep the salt level in check.
- Heavy cream – This adds a lightly creamy texture and wonderful rich flavor.
- Soy sauce – Feel free to swap in tamari sauce for a gluten-free option.
- Salt & pepper – I use Morton kosher salt.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley is a natural pairing with wild rice, adding a bright grassy flavor that balances the deeply earthy rice.
How to Make Wild Rice Casserole
Here’s a step-by-step visual guide showing you how to make this dish.
- Rinse, then cook the wild rice. Rinse the wild rice, then simmer in the chicken broth for 50 to 60 minutes, or until its split and tender. Drain away excess broth and fluff the wild rice.
- Brown the sausage, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook the sausage and onion until browned, breaking the meat into small pieces. Then stir in the garlic and mushrooms, and cook until softened.
- Make it creamy. Add the butter, cream, and soy sauce to the skillet.
- Combine. Stir the creamy sausage and mushroom mixture into the cooked wild rice; season generously.
- Bake. Transfer the wild rice mixture to a casserole dish and bake at 325ºF for 30 minutes; stir and bake 20 minutes more, then stir and bake 10 additional minutes. Serve hot with parsley for garnish.
Brenda’s Tips + A Couple Variations
I have a few more tips for this wild rice casserole recipe before you get started.
- Know when wild rice is done cooking. If you’ve never cooked wild rice before, you want the dark, hard outer shells to split open, to reveal the lighter-colored, curly, tender, chewy bites of wild rice.
- Use true wild rice only. Rice blends that include more than only wild rice are less expensive, but that’s because they use “regular” rice as filler. These blends dilute that fantastic, earthy wild rice flavor and unique texture.
- Make it a bit less creamy. If desired, use half and half instead of cream, in the same amount. This will definitely lighten-up the texture and the flavor of the original recipe.
- Toss in a Parmesan rind. For bonus points — and bonus savory flavor — add a Parmesan rind to the wild rice as it cooks in the broth. Then simply remove it before moving onto the next steps in the recipe. This is not a must, but just like when you’re making Minestrone Soup, it adds a little extra something.
What to Serve With Wild Rice Casserole
- Making it a side dish? This savory dish of wild rice and mushrooms is a perfect pairing with Garlic Butter Steak Bites or Steak Diane.
- Adding it to your holiday table? Pair it with favorite mains like Crockpot Ham and Sirloin Tip Roast. And sides such as Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole.
- Making it as a main dish? Complement it with Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus or a super simple veggie side like Honey Garlic Carrots.
- Delicious with a fresh salad! Enjoy this warm, comforting dish with a contrasting fresh salad, such as my Winter Citrus Salad or Winter Apple Salad. For me, this is absolute perfection!
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover wild rice casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Dishes with cream don’t always work well for freezing, but this dish is an exception. There is enough going on in the casserole that, once heated, the cream distributes perfectly.
- To reheat: Warm covered in a 325°F oven until heated through, or microwave individual portions.
More Recipes With Wild Rice
Creamy Wild Rice Casserole with Sausage and Mushrooms
Ingredients
Wild Rice
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole grain wild rice (I always look for Minnesota wild rice. Do not use cracked wild rice. Do not use a rice mixture that includes other kinds of rice.)
Casserole
- 1 pound sage pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean brand)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound portabella mushrooms, chopped
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Wild Rice
- In a large pot (big enough to add the creamy sausage and mushroom mixture to later) over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Thoroughly rinse the wild rice in a fine mesh colander under running water. Once broth is boiling, stir in wild rice. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook 50-60 minutes. The wild rice is done when a good portion of it is split open and some of it is curled. Drain away any excess liquid, fluff with a fork, and set aside.
Casserole
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- While wild rice is cooking, start frying the sausage. In a very large skillet with tall sides, over medium to medium-high heat, fry the sausage and onion together. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking up the sausage into bite-size pieces. Stir in garlic and mushrooms. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and the onions and mushrooms have completely softened.
- Add butter, cream, and soy sauce to the sausage mixture. Then add this mixture to the pot of cooked and drained wild rice. Stir thoroughly to combine. Taste test, adding salt and pepper as needed. This dish should have plenty of flavor – don't be afraid to add salt, or even a bit more of the soy sauce. And I LOVE lots of black pepper!
- Transfer wild rice mixture to a large casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Stir and bake for 20 minutes more. Stir and bake for 10 minutes. Mixture should be hot all the way through. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2016, then updated in 2025.
Where This Recipe COmes From
I’m grateful to Laurie Ryan for sharing Mary Jo Van Dell’s wild rice casserole recipe with me, way back in 2016. A friend and I were making all the stops on the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour – where people come to Minnesota from all over the country to immerse themselves in this area’s rich pottery history.
That 2016 tour featured 57 different potters, divided between 7 different studios. It’s easy to make a whole day of it – the talent and variety of pottery is beyond amazing.
The yellow striped house pot (above) was made by Wayne Branum, a potter/architect that I worked with at SALA Architects for 17+ years. I credit my interest and appreciation for pottery to Wayne, as his work was my first real introduction to this beautiful craft. I own a number of Wayne’s pottery pieces; his plates, bowls, platters, cups, and mugs are some of my most-used items.
It was so fun to be introduced to a new-to-me potter, Michael Kline from North Carolina. His unique AND GORGEOUS! pieces feature inlays and stamping, and repeatedly caught my eye.
A shout-out to another Minnesota potter, Dick Cooter. He lives and works on the North Shore, just a bit north of Duluth, MN. The stacks of blue/gray bowls in the front are his. I fell in love with their shape and color, and that little thumb print on the edge, and just had to take a couple home with me. They are awesome oatmeal-eating vessels!
My friend Annmarie and I shared lunch under a shade tree that day. Included in this photo is my first taste of this awesome wild rice casserole. What a treat, to be able to cup that handmade pottery in our hands, filled with delicious things – and enjoy a gorgeous Minnesota day with a friend!
One of my fav wild rice dishes. Add some fresh sage to enhance the flavor…
Hi Ken – I love to hear this, and will definitely add some sage next time! Thank you so much for coming back here to share a comment and star rating – much appreciated!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was so delicious! I cooked everything the day before and stored the cooked rice and sausage cream mixture separately, as I didn’t want the rice to soak up any extra moisture. On T-day, I just mixed them together and tossed them into the oven. Perfect! This now has a permanent place on our Thanksgiving table. Thank you!
So glad you liked this recipe, Heather – thanks for coming back here to let me know and to rate the recipe! :)
I made this for Sunday dinner, along with cornish hens. It was a huge hit!!
My family loved it! Thank you for sharing.
So glad you liked this, Lynn!
I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving but short on oven space. Do you think it would work to do all the prep beforehand and then bake in a crockpot?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah – I do think that would work!
CAN THIS BE FROZEN I AM COOKING FOR THANKGIVING
Hi Kay – I have not tried this myself, but I do think it’s worth a try. I would just have some extra broth and cream on hand (and possibly butter), if it needs to be loosened up, as the wild rice might absorb more of the liquids when frozen.
I took this to a dinner party as a side dish with steak. It was a hit. The flavors are incredible. I used a pound of mushrooms and half and half cut with whole milk instead of cream. I will make this dish often. You could cut the recipe in half as it was a twice as much as I needed for 6 adults. It was served with roasted cauliflower and an Italian salad.
I grew up in northern Minnesota – with wild rice! I’ve had many wild rice dishes over the years…and this has now become my go-to recipe. I’ve made it many times this past year, it is always a hit! Absolutely delicious!!
I LOVE to hear this. Isn’t this just the best comfort dish?! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Hi, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.
I have made this a couple of times now for family and friends, and they love it.
I looked everywhere for a recipe like this as I love wild rice recipes, and ended up in Minnesota.
Thanks.
So nice to hear from you, John. I’m glad you like this. Perfectly hearty and cozy!
Cheers! I’m just now seeing this article – nicely done! and I love the photos. Hope we will see you again on Mother’s Day Weekend ;) Laurie R.
Plan on making this for our Easter feast. We are an indigenous family in northern Ontario and wild rice is part of our culture, looking forward to making this recipe, thank you so much.
Would love this casserole anytime of the year too! Looks so delicious and would be a real crowd-pleaser! I loved reading about the pottery tour! I could get lost in a place like that! So many beautiful pieces – I’d be in trouble too since I’d want to buy it all! lol Sipping wine and shopping for pottery! It’s a total win-win situation! :D
fabulous flavors!! Sounds amazing!
This would be perfect for Thanksgiving!
A Minnesota holiday dinner must have wild rice in some form! This looks delicious and while Thanksgiving is planned, I look forward to trying this at Christmas! Yummy!
This looks fantastic! Love all the flavors