IHRDb: Wild Rice Hotdish

The other night, one of my friends suggested that I post some of my favorite recipes here. In particular, he was interested in having me post some hotdish recipes that he wanted. Okay, I know that you are going to ask, what is this "hotdish" thing you speak of? Well, for those of you possessing an inferior education or not fortunate enough to have spent a portion of your life in Minnesota, "hotdish" is the haute cuisine term for a "casserole". Don't argue with me. Pretty soon, you'll be saying that there's no such thing as Peppermint Bon Bon. Sheesh.

So, inspired by the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), I have decided to start the Internet Hotdish Recipe Database (IHRDb for short), which will catalog all hotdish recipes known to, well, uh, me.

Without further ado, here is the first entry in the IHRDb, courtesy of my friend Christy, who passed along the recipe to me.

Wild Rice Hotdish

2 cups of wild rice, cooked (see package for cooking directions)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 tsp. soy sauce (more or less, to taste)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 cup sour cream
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat and drain. Combine with the remaining ingredients and put into a large Pyrex baking pan. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, or until bubbly.

Actually, Christy's original recipe included bean sprouts, which I have omitted since I don't care for them in this dish, but by all means, include them if you like. Hey, you'll be eating it, not me. For the baking pan, I suggest that you use one that is at least 9" x 13" in dimension, as this recipe will make a lot of food. (I use a 10.5" x 14.75" pan.) Also, you can sprinkle on slivers of toasted almonds after you have pulled the dish from the oven if you desire. It's a very hearty dish and goes well with your typical fall or winter fare. Give it a shot for Thanksgiving.