Wild rice used to be considered a luxury item. One of my favorite writers, Betty MacDonald, in her fabulous book Onions in the Stew, told of a time she sent her husband to their small rural grocery store to buy wild rice, at the time $2.25 a box (this was in 1950). He came home with 12 boxes, and after she recovered from the shock, he said 'well, the checkout girl said as long as they're two boxes for 25 cents, why not buy a bunch?

She said wild rice isn't a good seller here.'

I doubt you'll find any windfalls like that, but a one pound bag of wild rice is only $3.00 in my grocery store. Be sure that you are buying the long grain wild rice. There are some varieties where the rice is broken into small pieces, and that just cooks up to mush. The longer the grains the better.

Wild rice isn't rice - it's the seed of an aquatic grass native to North America. If you can find hand harvested wild rice grown by a Native American tribe in Minnesota, grab it! It is more expensive, but has the most wonderful nutty flavor and firm yet tender texture.

To cook wild rice, first carefully rinse it and remove any extraneous material. Combine 1 cup of the rice with 3 cups of water and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 35-45 minutes until rice is tender. Drain, if necessary; makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups depending on the rice.

Start With Wild Rice Recipes

• Wild Rice Bread
  I have a new favorite yeast bread recipe! Wild rice adds the best flavor and texture to a simple traditional loaf. Try it toasted and spread with whipped honey.

• Wild Rice and Bacon Frittata
  Wild rice is fabulous in a simple stovetop frittata recipe. The addition of bacon, of course, makes the recipe perfect!
• Mediterranean Wild Rice Chicken Salad
  This fabulous main dish salad recipe has the best combination of flavors and textures. It's one of my all-time best salads.
• Wild Rice Apple Cake
  This fabulous and delicious recipe is the perfect thing to celebrate fall. The rice adds a nutty flavor and great texture to this tender cake. I like to frost it with Browned Butter Frosting for the perfect dessert.
• Wild Rice Chicken Sandwich Spread
  Here's a wonderful spread to keep on hand in the refrigerator to feed those hungry teenagers when they get home from school.
• Wild Rice Chowder
  This is such a delicious recipe. It looks long, but goes together very quickly and it's perfect for a large crowd, especially served with Onion Scones.
• Wild Rice Crockpot Chili
  Wild rice cooks to perfection in your crockpot. The nutty taste and tender texture are a wonderful addition to a classic chili.
• Wild Rice Quiche
  Sour cream and Dijon mustard add wonderful texture to this quiche; it really melts in your mouth.
• Crockpot Wild Rice Pilaf
  You can serve this simple pilaf as a side dish to simple grilled chicken breasts or pork chops, or serve it with other selections as a vegetarian entree.
• Wild Rice Meatloaf
  For meatloaf lovers, cooked wild rice takes this humble dish into another dimension. You must try this recipe!
• Wild Rice Bar Cookies
  This incredible recipe uses wild rice, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts in a brown sugar batter. It's topped with browned butter frosting for even more caramel flavor. Try it!
• Wild Rice Stuffed Turkey Breast
  This easy crockpot recipe uses just five ingredients! Plus, you get a main dish and side disn in one pot.
• Barley Black Bean Salad
  Wow, this dish combines two whole grains for a nutty main dish salad that is just plain delicious.
• Wild Rice Turkey Bake
  Another five ingredient recipe! This creamy and satisfying main dish casserole recipe takes just minutes to put together.
• Wild Rice Chicken Salad
  Wild rice and chicken combine with a few more ingredients in a creamy mustard dressing to make a delicious main dish salad.
• Wild Rice Muffins
  Who says wild rice is just for savory dishes? This sweet and easy recipe adds wild rice, dried cherries, and chopped pecans to a delicious batter.
• Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
  This easy and delicious one dish recipe is one of my favorites. Serve it with a green salad for a complete and simple meal.
• Crockpot Mixed Rice Pilaf
  You can easily turn this into a main dish by adding pieces of chicken breast or thigh.
• Orange Chicken and Wild Rice Salad
  This five ingredient salad has the most wonderful combination of flavors and textures; try it soon!
• Sweet and Sour Meatball Stew
  Wild rice adds a wonderful dimension to this classic stew.
• Ham Broccoli and Wild Rice Skillet
  This one dish meal uses a long grain rice and wild rice mix; be sure to use this ingredient, because the wild rice in the mix is processed to cook in less time.