Wild Rice Mushroom & Sausage Casserole

My husband worked late the other night so I decided to make something I love and he won't eat, he is a mushroom hater. This casserole is super easy and can be made into a casserole or eaten as is. It's also fairly easy to make it a bit healthier by substituting things like turkey sausage for regular sausage, which I always do. I really enjoy how simple this recipe is but how full of flavor it is, that's why I make it when my husband isn't home because I refuse to never get to eat things I like just because he doesn't. 

Wild Rice Mushroom & Sausage Casserole 

Ingredients:

1 6ox box Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Original Recipe (I like the fast cooking box)

1 lb. Ground Sausage

1 Sm. Onion, chopped

1 4ox Can Mushrooms 

1 can Mushroom Soup

3 Tbs butter, melted (optional)

Directions:

Cook Rice according to package directions. In the mean time cook your sausage in a large skillet or dutch oven along with the chopped onion. Turn off heat and drain off grease. Combine the remaining ingredients into the pan. 

If eating as is heat through on stove, if making into a casserole (pour into casserole dish if not using a dutch oven) and top with melted butter (optional). Bake at 350 Degrees for 30 minutes

Try Adding/Substituting

Fresh Mushrooms

Turkey Sausage

Green Onions 

Slivered Almonds 

Sneak in a Veggie like chopped Spinach or Kale

Rhubarb Strawberry Muffins

When we moved into our home 3 years ago we were immediately over whelmed with the yard. It has tons of over grown plants and is just a lot of up keep. So basically it looks like a disaster and we are slowly ripping things out. We have about 3 or 4 rhubarb plants, who needs that much rhubarb? I try to give as much of it away as I can because I don't want it to go to waste and I have never used it. This year however I decided I should at least try to make one thing with it. So I found a recipe for rhubarb cinnamon muffins that I adapted into rhubarb strawberry muffins. I also added orange zest to give it more of a citrus note. I was a little skeptical at first, as I always am when trying and experimenting with new recipes but I was very pleased with how these turned out. 

This recipe is like most recipes as in you mix all of your dry ingredients in a separate bowl and your wet ingredients in the mixer then combine them. Pretty basic and simple I'd say. 

This is the size I cut up my rhubarb and strawberries, rhubarb was cut smaller since it's more tart, they are pretty small but if you love rhubarb then by all means cut them larger. 

My little man loves to help me make things especially if it involves using my kitchen aid. This picture shows you why. He loves to "test" out the batter by shoving his hands in the bowl.. pretty smart kid if you ask me. The batter was delicious so I now had high hopes. 

Once everything is mixed together it should be a thick batter. I sprayed my muffin tin and used a cookie scoop to fill the tins. It seems like to much batter at first but you want to fill them all they way to the top so it makes 12 big yummy muffins. 

I sprinkled the tops with sugar to give it a crispy top then into the oven it went. As they cooked my house smelled delicious so now I was getting excited, it's the little things that make me happy. 

Here is how they turned out, pretty aren't they? They also tasted AMAZING!! I guess now I will freeze some of my rhubarb so I can make these little gems a few more times. 

Rhubarb Strawberry Muffins 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla 

2 tsp orange zest 

3/4 cup diced rhubarb

3/4 cup diced strawberries (fresh or frozen is fine)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl. 

In a stand mixer combine sour cream, melted butter, vanilla and orange zest. Add in dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add rhubarb and strawberries and mix just to incorporate. 

Line a 12 muffin tin  with cupcake wrappers or spray with baking spray. Distribute batter evenly then sprinkle the tops with sugar. 

Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool. 

Try adding/substituting:

1/2 tsp Orange Extract 

Greek Yogurt