Wild Rice and Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 8 oz. button mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried sage
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• salt, to taste
• 4 cups COOKED wild rice blend
• 3 oz. fried onions*

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the onion into a fine dice and mince the garlic. Put the butter, onion and garlic in a large pot, then cook over medium heat until the onion looks soft and translucent.
2. As that cooks, slice the carrots and dice the celery. Add both to the pot and keep sautéing.
3. While those vegetables soften, rinse the mushrooms and chop them. Stir them into the pot with the salt, pepper, thyme and sage, and keep cooking until the mushrooms are browned and fully wilted.
4. Sprinkle in the flour, then stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes more, until it clings to the bottom of the pot and starts to take on a pale golden color. Whisk in the vegetable broth, scraping well so the flour releases from the pot and blends in. It should tighten up pretty quickly.
5. When the sauce has thickened, whisk in the milk and bring it back to a simmer. Once it is simmering, shut off the heat, taste it, and season with more salt or pepper if it needs it. The sauce should taste a bit salty now, since the rice will mellow it out.
6. Fold the cooked rice into the pot with the vegetables and sauce. Spoon the mixture into a 2 to 3 quart casserole dish, then scatter the fried onions over the top. Bake in the heated 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the sides and the fried onions are deep golden brown. Serve hot.