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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.
Your Dad’s the best! I can’t see any cracks at all – that is a pretty casserole dish, I might just have to put that on my Christmas list. Love the idea of Kale Casserole in place of the typical green bean casserole. The crispy onions on top llook great!
He really is!!
Thank you so much, Jeanette!
I saw a recipe for kale casserole in this month’s Food Network mag and debated about making it for Thanksgiving~I do like kale and want to include in on the menu more often and your combo with wild rice really appeals~I’d toss the casserole and get west elm to send you a new one 🙂
Thanks Jenna!! I love the wild rice in this. I think is add great flavor, texture and nutrition!
And trust me, I got west elm to send me a brand new one! I used it in todays post!
I love this casserole, such a great side dish that I would happily eat for days!
Thank you, Laura! I would happily eat your maple cookies for days!
I’m not a big ham girl but I love this casserole! Goodness, what a great recipe….comforting and healthy!
This dish looks for comforting and healthy at the same time! Thank you!
Thanks!
Pinning this recipe now, it looks amazing!! What a great Thanksgiving side, or a perfect weeknight dinner! So sad about your new dish. That happened to me once with Williams Sonoma – they will send you a new one!
Thanks Cate!!
I already have my brand new and non broken one! 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous, Tieghan!! And I adore that casserole dish!
Thank you, Ali!
This looks great and your post made me chuckle…off to check out west elm. 🙂
Thanks Kathy! Hope you find some cute stuff!
I can’t believe that casserole dish was ever broken!??! I can barely even see any cracks–and I have to look really hard. You should totally send it back and get another one.
On a more positive note, I love this idea for a casserole using kale! It is so much heartier than spinach, and probably holds up a lot better. Yummm!! Also, I’m scared of baked ham too. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten it before.
Trust me, I call right away. New one is already here!!
Thanks Laura! 🙂
Oh and the ham actually turned out good. Mu family surprisingly loved it!
I think I’m gonna be making this as a new Thanksgiving side dish! The flavors sound so incredible!
YAY!! Thanks Steph!
Haha!! Let there be KALE! I’m so glad I have you around to help come up with ideas for healthy holiday sides for my family. They won’t even know what hit them this year, their Vitamin tank will be full to the BRIM! Yuuuuuum!
Haha!! Love me so kale!!
Thanks Julia! Is Tahoe getting snow too?
Your dad did an amazing job with the glue!!! Are they sending you a new one?
Yup! New one is already here!
Thanks Pam!
You have had some challenges lately, huh? Well, this kale and wild rice looks delicious despite the glued casserole. I hope you are going to have them replace it.
Yes, I have! LOL!
Thanks Norma!
Oh and yes, I had them replace it. it is already here and very pretty!
Oops!!! I forgot to say we LOVE ham. I do not like Honey Baked ham though. Just bake mine plain.
Never had honey baked, but my mom says it is grows.
I will have to try it plain next time!
Too funny!!! Now tell me how he got a million pieces back together so well. Hehehe!!! You are going to make them replace it I hope.
I have never had kale.
I have no idea how he put it back together. Honestly there were so many pieces!!
And yes, I already have the new one!!
Thanks Charlotte! Oh and you have to try kale!