Hey Amy!

Today I am sharing a delicious vegetarian dish from the Crock Pot Recipe Collection.  I love this cookbook and the recipes never fail me.  This treat is for the vegetarian friends I have out there.  You meat lovers will enjoy it too, I promise!  This can be a great main course or a perfect accompaniment to a piece of beef or chicken.  I have used it in my meals both ways.  And like most rice dishes, they get better with time so don’t forget the leftovers once they get into the fridge!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
l large green pepper, finely diced
8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
8 oz. pepper jack, cheddar or Swiss cheese, shredded
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. wild rice, cooked according to package

Coat slow cooker with nonstick spray.

Heat oil in large skillet.  Add onion, bell pepper and mushrooms and cook until soft.  Add garlic, tomatoes, oregano and paprika.  continue to cook and stir until heated through.  Transfer to large bowl to cool.

Melt butter in same skillet and whisk in flour.  Cook and stir until smooth and golden.  Whisk in milk and bring to a boil.  Whisk shredded cheese into boiling milk to produce a velvety textured sauce.  Combine cooked wild rice with vegetables in large bowl.  Fold in cheese sauce and combine gently.  Pour everything into crock pot and cover.  Cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

When I want a bit of a kick, I use the pepper jack and add a splash of Tabasco.  As you can imagine, the cheese you choose changes the flavor of the casserole.  Enjoy!

xo–me

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