Earthy Every Day Casserole

Here’s a recipe for my brother in law from one of the cookbooks they gave me for my birthday, Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. Mushroom, cheese, and thyme make this an earthy comfort delight. I also used light versions of the cottage cheese and sour cream to make it edible every day. 

Wild Rice Casserole

2 large eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

½ cup sour cream

1 Tsp. Dijon mustard

Sea salt

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 cups cooked wild rice

½ cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the top third of the oven. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil. A 9 by 13-inch dish should work, or two smaller baking dishes. Whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, mustard and ½ tsp. salt. In a large skillet over high heat, combine the olive oil with a couple pinches of salt. Stir in the mushrooms. After the initial stirring, leave the mushrooms alone until they release their water and the water evaporates, about five minutes. Continue to cook and stir every couple minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent, about two to three minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute, and remove from the heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined. Add the rice mixture to the cottage cheese mixture, stir until well combined, and turn into the prepared baking dish(es). Sprinkle with two-thirds of the grated cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the casserole takes on a lot of color. Serve sprinkled with the chopped thyme and the remaining grated cheese.

 Yummers.