Sweet Potato Grape Wild Rice

Looking for a gluten free side? You can’t go wrong with rice and the mix of roasted veggies and raw ingredients in this 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

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
• Total Time: 60-65 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

Looking for a gluten free side? You can’t go wrong with rice and the mix of roasted veggies and raw ingredients in this sweet potato grape wild rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice
• 4 cups 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

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Rinse the rice with cold water in a fine mesh strainer.
3. Place the rice and water in a large saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes. Check the doneness of the rice. The grains should be cooked but still chewy. (Also refer to the package instructions for recommended cook time).
4. Drain any remaining liquid from the saucepan. Let the rice sit covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff it with a fork.
5. 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.
6. In a large bowl, combine the rice, sweet potatoes, grapes, walnuts, scallions, parsley and chives. Season to taste.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
• Total Time: 60-65 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4