Wild Rice Hot Dish

Apparently this is a popular casserole in Wisconsin.  I saw the recipe here and thought that it would be really good, but I made some modifications so that there's more grains and less meat and so the prep goes a little bit faster.  And dang, it's good.  As a warning, it does take a seriously long time to bake, and I think it took me about 35 mins to put it together (but I'm a super slow cook). 

Wild Rice Hot Dish

• 1 1/2 cups wild rice (I actually used a packaged blend of wild and other rices)
• 1  pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (I use as many as I have on hand--last time it was 10 oz)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. In a small bowl, cover the wild rice with cold water and let it soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large non-stick skillet (12-inch) begin browning the ground turkey with the salt and pepper After a few minutes, add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are translucent and the most of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 5-7 minutes (turkey should no longer be pink). Sprinkle the flour and spices over the meat/vegetables and stir to combine. Continue stirring and cook the mixture for about 1 minute over medium heat until it is cooked and golden.
4. Slowly pour in the broth and milk and whisk to incorporate. Cook until liquid boils, continuing to stir.
5. Drain the wild rice. Stir it in to the sauce with the browned hamburger. Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking dish.
6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the almonds are golden and toasted and the rice is tender. Serve immediately.