Wild Rice, Mushroom & Bacon Stuffing

I feel like kind of a dork for posting a stuffing recipe the day after Thanksgiving, but since I just ate a bowl of this for breakfast, I thought I would share.

This is a great side dish for the holidays, or anytime!
I like this because there is a ton of great flavors and it's very hearty.  If you have any vegetarians over at the holidays, this one would be great as an almost entree (just omit the bacon, or use vegan bacon).

We served this at Thanksgiving as we needed a gluten free option, and my daughter thought this sounded marvelous. It was.  

Leftovers would be a good, and pretty healthy, "good carb" side dish too.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

Rice:

4 1/2 cups broth (Chicken, beef or vegetable)

1 1/4 cups short-grain brown rice

1 1/4 cups wild rice

Vegetables:

8 oz. bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (optional, or use vegan bacon)

One 14-ounce bag frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 lb crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

3/4 cup carrots, minced

3/4 cup celery, chopped small
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper 

For the rice: In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the brown and wild rice. Cover the saucepan and simmer until the rice is tender but still chewy, 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

For the vegetables: In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery and thyme. Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper

Transfer the vegetable mixture to the saucepan of cooked rice. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are mixed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve, or cover and keep warm in the oven.

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