While in San Francisco at the Foodbuzz Festival, I had the opportunity to present my cranberry bruschetta alongside two other lovely ladies who also created winning recipes. I typically pass on stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner, it's just never been one of my favorites. Still, I was intrigued by the sound of Kath's stuffing recipe (I call it all stuffing, even though she refers to it as dressing since it doesn't actually go in the bird) and sampled it after her recipe demo.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this stuffing was not like the icky stuff I remember from my childhood. (No offense Mom, I think it was just my tastebuds at the time!) The combination of sweet and savory in this stuffing mixed with fresh herbs and the variety of textures wowed me.

There are tons of versions of stuffing, each with their own fan club. For Ryan's family, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving if there isn't oyster stuffing on the table. For others, stuffing must include sausage, or apples, or cranberries. From here on out, I think this stuffing will need to make an appearance at my table each Fall! Try it, you might find a new family favorite!


Figgy Wild Rice, Mushroom, & Sourdough Dressing
from Kath Eats

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup uncooked wild rice (1 cup cooked)
-1 loaf day-old sourdough bread, cut into cubes (6 cups total) (my bakery was out, I just used a country white loaf)
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp butter
-2 stalks celery chopped (1 cup)
-3 cups fresh crimini mushrooms, chopped (the farmer's market didn't have but the mushroom vendor told me I could substitute white button mushrooms)
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 spring fresh rosemary, chopped (1 tbsp)
-1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-2 cups broth (I used chicken)
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts
-1/2 cup chopped dried figs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cook wild rice according to package instructions.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine figs, bread, and walnuts.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and oil. Add celery and cook, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, and mushrooms, and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
4. Add rice, tossing to combine. Add rice mixture to the bread mixture and toss until evenly mixed.
5. Pour stuffing into a large casserole dish (I used a 9 x 13 pan). Add broth. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid or foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.