Sweet Potato Grape Wild Rice
As the days are counting down to Thanksgiving, I am finishing up meal planning.
Like last year, it’s a team effort. My brother and I are sharing cooking duties.
On my list are two pies because I love any excuse to bake.
As of this moment, there will a salted caramel apple pie and a pecan pie. Of course that is subject to change depending on my mood when I get started mixing up the dough.
I volunteered to make a salad, too. Raw greens are important to squeeze into such a heavy meal. Everyone could use something that’s fresh like a brussels sprout salad or a kale apple salad.
My brother is planning to make the stuffing, but I think there is room for another side.
Technically stuffing is supposed to be baked inside the turkey, but we never do that. I feel like stuffing covers any bready, toasty side even if it’s cooked in a casserole dish.
Thanksgiving is the one day of the year that I have stuffing. I had a conversation with someone about this the other day, and she said the exact same thing.
We both agreed that we also love a wild rice side.
It is a great alternative or addition to stuffing. Plus you will have your gluten-free guests covered.
I am a big fan of rice with a mix of roasted veggies and raw ingredients like this sweet potato grape wild rice.
How To Make Sweet Potato Grape Wild Rice
To start, I always make the wild rice on the stove. Once it is bubbling away, I get to the vegetables.
Sweet potatoes are my go-to for so many recipes because they are easy to prep. And I love their crisp edges and soft center when they are roasted.
I toss diced sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper on a sheet pan and slide them into the oven.
When the wild rice and sweet potatoes are finished cooking, I fold in halved red grapes.
Yes, I could have roasted the grapes, but again it goes back to getting fresh elements into such a heavy meal.
To finish off this sweet potato grape wild rice, I stir in plenty of parsley, chives, scallions and walnuts.
I hope I made the case for stuffing and wild rice. You never can have too many sides!
Sweet Potato Grape Wild Rice
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Total Time: 45-50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
Ingredients
1 cup wild rice
1–3/4 cup water
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
1 cup halved red grapes
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the rice and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender and cooked through.
While the rice is cooking, toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned on the edges and tender when pierced with a knife.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, sweet potatoes, grapes, walnuts, scallions, parsley and chives. Season to taste.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
