Next Post
Brown Sugar Sage Ginger Paloma (with mocktail).
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Creamed Spinach and Wild Rice Casserole. A mix between your classic green bean casserole, a spinach soufflé, and a bowl of French onion soup. It’s not your traditional side, but it’s so delicious. Caramelized yellow onions with baby spinach (or use kale) in a cream sauce with fresh thyme and sage. Wild rice is then mixed in and the casserole is topped with Gruyère cheese. When baked together the creamed spinach and nutty wild rice create the perfect balance. The cheese just makes the casserole even yummier. Make this casserole ahead of time for an easy holiday side that everyone will love.
Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Not sure how we got to this point of the year already, but the holidays are here. The stores are filled with Christmas decorations, gifts, and toys. Turkeys, yams, and hams are everywhere. There’s a lot of rush-rush, stress, and excitement.
I love every minute of this season. Even with some of the stress, it’s fun having so much happening. So many things to share, cook, bake, eat, and hopefully enjoy. The holidays are magical in my eyes!
I’ve been enjoying sharing Thanksgiving dishes all week long. This is the last side dish I’m sharing before the Thanksgiving holiday and it’s such a yummy one! Next week I’ll focus on easy dinners and quick appetizers to share with our guests and family. Everyone will be arriving soon!
When it comes to Thanksgiving dishes, I grew up with the basics. Roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes and rolls. My brothers and I never bothered with the green beans or any of that other “adult” food.
When we moved to Colorado I started cooking a lot of the Thanksgiving meal. I became a little more adventurous. I was baking popovers and roasting spaghetti squash. But truthfully, the green bean casserole has never been of interest to me.
So instead, one year I made a version of this wild rice casserole. Ever since that year, I’ve made it every Thanksgiving! It was inspired by the classic green bean casserole, but in reality, it’s pretty different
It’s loaded up with creamed spinach (or kale), wild rice, and plenty of melty cheese on top. It’s kind of a mix between a spinach soufflé and yummy French onion soup!
Step 1: caramelize the onions and cook the greens
Use sweet yellow onions and begin cooking them down until they are soft. Then add all of the spinach, or try using kale. Allow the greens to slowly cook along with the onions until they are wilted.
At this point, the onions should be pretty caramelized. Add a couple of tablespoons of butter, garlic, fresh thyme, sage, and poultry seasoning.
Step 2: add the cream
Next mix in the cream cheese, cream, and milk. Simmer the cream sauce until it thickens just a bit.
Then remove the creamed spinach from the heat.
Step 3: mix in the wild rice
Spread the cooked wild rice out and into a casserole dish. Pour the creamed spinach over the rice, gently mixing to combine. You can cook the wild rice at home or use precooked wild rice. Many stores like Trader Joe’s sell cooked, frozen wild rice. That works perfectly too!
Next, add the cheese. I love to use melty, sweet, and sharp Gruyère cheese. It’s a great cheese to pair with the onions and rice.
Step 4: bake
Bake the casserole until the cheese is melty and the edges begin to crisp.
It might seem simple, but that browned, golden top really adds another layer of deliciousness to the rice that makes everyone want more.
Serve this up warm with some fresh thyme for added color.
I’m excited to share this recipe with not only you but family and friends as well. This is one of my mom’s favorite sides.
The next question is, what will you be pairing this casserole with? The obvious answer for Thanksgiving is turkey. But come December, over here it will be the pot roast I can’t stop making it.
Looking for other easy Thanksgiving sides?? Here are my favorites:
Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Crispy Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Stacks
Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Lastly, if you make this Creamed Spinach and Wild Rice Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I make this ALL the time! such a crowd pleaser. Strongly reco!
Hey Mandi,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this dish so often and your comment! I love to hear that it always turns out well for you! Xx
Hi! My family absolutely LOVED your original recipe for kale and wild rice casserole. I have made it so many times, I think I have a good idea of the ingredients and amounts but it has been a while since I have made it. Would you mind sharing the original recipe so I can write it in my family cook book, please? P.S. I do plan on trying this new version, but for Easter my family is insisting on the original version. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind message Kristina!! So sorry, unfortunately, I no longer have the old version of this recipe. I prefer this updated version, so let me know how it turns out for you! xT
Can you make this without mushrooms?
Hi Toya,
Totally fine for you to skip the mushrooms:) I hope you love this dish! Xx
We made this recipe last night and it’s SPECTACULAR! The combination of tastes + seasonings is perfection. I would not change a thing! I even just snuck a tiny bit for breakfast! Cannot wait to make this again! Thank you for sharing your thoughtful recipes, Tieghan!
Hi Sara! I’m so so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying it out! xT
We had this as part of Christmas dinner. It was delicious. I used about a 3:1 ratio of baby spinach to curly kale. Using a mix of the two works well.
Hi! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have a wonderful New Year! 🙂 xT
Can you make this ahead and put in the oven the day of?
Hey Amy! I haven’t tried that personally so I can’t say for sure, but let me know if you give it a try! xT
I made it the night before and then refrigerated it. When I baked it the next day I added 10 minutes to the bake where it was covered in foil. At the end of the bake I dabbed oil off the top and then broiled it for 1-2 minutes. It turned out great.
Hey Katy,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love that it was enjoyed! xT
This recipe is fabulous. We loved it. The flavors were awesome. In fact, I think I’m going to use this filling for crepes I’m making for a Christmas party.
Thank you so so much! Sooo glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂 xT
This recipe just became our favorite!!!! Thank you!!! I only made half, I didn’t have cream but I did have half and half so I just used a cup of that instead of milk. It turned out amazing!!! My husband doesn’t get too excited about too many recipes, he loves it! We decided to serve this recipe with our family during the holidays! We’ve already discussed several different meat options it will be delicious with! Tonight, we had it with grilled pork chops.
Hi Barbara! Thank you so so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
The recipes you create look so delicious, I have to try this one.
Thanks so much! xT