There was no more closely guarded secret of my grandfather’s than his treasured wild rice hot dish, which he would serve at our family gatherings. In the past, I’ve shared a recipe from my grandmother that she loved to prepare for summer evenings at home. This hot dish is my grandpa, Gerald “Jerry” Benz’s version of that.
I fondly remember the recipe while looking back at Christmases spent at the Benz family farm, where generations would pack tightly into a little farmhouse to exchange gifts.
The recipe was written on a faded, weathered piece of paper in cursive, and he kept it laminated, separate from all the other recipes stored in the classic kitchen of my youth. One day, I decided to write the recipe down on my phone so I could keep it with me. After he passed away in 2016, the laminated piece of paper vanished, and I was glad I had preserved the ingredients.
Since moving to Minneapolis, I’ve been invited to dinner parties with friends, and on one occasion, I was asked to share a family dish. I’ve shared my grandma Grace’s Rhubarb Crunch, and I’ve also served this wild rice hot dish. I’ve been missing him a lot lately, and wanted to share it with everyone, so enjoy!
Gerald Benz’s Wild Rice Hot-dish
Equipment
- 1 Large Crockpot For entire dish
- 1 Boiling Pot For cleaning rice
- 1 Strainer For draining rice.
- 1 Frying Pan For browning the beef
- 1 Large Baking Pan (Optional) Use this option for shorter cook time
- Tinfoil (Optional) Use this option for baking pan coverage
Ingredients
- 2 cups Wild Rice Minnesota grown if possible.
- 2 Medium Onions White or Yellow Onions.
- 2-3 lbs Ground Beef
- 2 tbsp Beef Bullion
- 2 large cans Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 cup Chopped Cellery
- 1 large can Water Use one of the soup cans to add water.
Instructions
Preperation
- Brown groud beef using your choice of seasonings.
- Chop celery
- Chop and dice onions
- Boil water and add rice, stir for 5 minuite.
- Drain rice
Combine and Cook
- Add all prepared ingredients (Rice, celery, onion, beef) to cooking dish.
- Add both cans of soup and water to the cooking pot.
- Stir all ingredients until thuroughly mixed.
- (If Baking) Cover baking dish with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
- (Crockpot) Leave Crockpot on high heat for 2-3 hours or for 8 hours on low heat.
Serve
- (If Baking) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let dish sit in the oven for 15 extra minutes, remove from heat, and let it rest for 15 additional minutes to cool. Serve.
- (Crockpot) Leave meal on low or warm heat while serving.
