Growing up my Italian American family did not eat bread stuffing for Thanksgiving. Instead we ate this delicious rice stuffing filled with sausage and Italian cheeses. Of course we always said that carbs don't count on the holidays.
After all, we would eat this stuffing plus loads of other sides with the turkey after we had a course of lasagna. It was all so good and worth every last calorie.
I am curious, did your family have stuffing like this?
Rice Stuffing
(Serves 10)
1 lb. Long Grain White Rice (My family always used Uncle Bens Rice)
2 tbsp. Butter
3 tbsp. Olive Oil, plus extra for the baking dish
1 (8oz) Onion, chopped
4 (6 oz) Celery Stalks, chopped
1.5 lbs Cheese and Parsley Sausage (No casing)
2 ½ Cups Ricotta
1 ½ Cup Grated Pecorino Romano
1 tsp. Salt
¾ tsp. Pepper
16 oz. Low Moisture Mozzarella, cut into tiny cubes and ½ cup reserved for topping
2 Eggs, beaten
3 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
¼ Cup Pignoli Nuts
¼ Cup Plain Bread Crumbs
Large Oven Safe Dish (I Use a glass Pyrex)
Method
Preheat your oven to 375°.
In a pot add 6 ½ cups of water and 2 tablespoons of butter and bring to a boil. Add in the rice and cook according to package directions. It is important that the rice is cooked but not dry. You want it to be moist. Feel free to add a little more water if needed.
In a frying pan, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add in the onions and celery. Cook until they become translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Heat and then add in the sausage. Break the sausage up into small pieces using the side of your wooden spoon. Cook until it’s no longer pink. Reserve.
In the meantime, make your cheese mixture. In a bowl mix the ricotta, Pecorino, salt, pepper, mozzarella (make sure to reserve ½ cup for topping the stuffing), eggs, and parsley. Combine.
Add the cooked rice to the ricotta mixture. Then add in the celery and onions, sausage and pignoli nuts. Combine well.
Recipe note… You want this to be a loose mixture. If your rice is too dry then this dish will turn out dry after you bake it. You need to use your judgment. Usually at this point I add about 3/4 cup to one cup of water to the mixture. You want it to be loose but not watery.
Next coat all sides and the bottom of the baking pan with olive oil. Add in the plain breadcrumbs, distributing them evenly over the bottom and the sides to create a crust.
Add in the rice mixture (distribute evenly) and top with the remaining mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and it get back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve.