Pork and Wild Rice Casserole

This recipe is a delicious use of wild rice. Just be sure to season your ground pork if you don't buy it pre-seasoned (usually labeled as pork sausage). Fresh Italian sausage can also be used, just cut open the casing. Works great prepared a day ahead and re-heated for 20 minutes at serving time.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 598 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 6 slices bacon
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 6 cups water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups uncooked wild rice
• 4 pounds ground pork
• 3 ½ cups half and half
• 1 (18 ounce) can ready-to-serve cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimento

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Step 3

Place rice and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 45 minutes.

Step 4

Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Place pork in skillet and cook until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.

Step 5

Reduce skillet heat to medium and melt butter. Stir in onion and celery, and cook until tender; set aside. Mix flour into remaining butter until smooth. In a bowl, mix the reserved mushroom liquid and half and half; stir into the skillet and cook until thickened. Stir in the soup. Mix in 6 cups cooked rice, cooked bacon, cooked pork, mushrooms, almonds, pimento, parsley, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a 9x13 inch casserole dish.