Cooking Connection: Wild rice and sausage casserole

Cooking Connection is a new Journal-World feature that prints favorite reader recipes. This week’s featured cook is Diane Weber, rural Lawrence, with her Wild Rice and Sausage Casserole.

Why it’s special: For the last 25 years – with a couple of exceptions – I’ve had a Christmas brunch for friends. It started out as a way to get away from our small children during a very hectic holiday season and has now progressed to our children coming with us to get away from their children. This casserole has appeared without fail every year and would be sorely missed if I decided to serve a substitute. I usually have a couple of copies of the recipe on hand for newcomers.

The recipe:

1 pound bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained

1 cup chopped celery

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (8 ounces) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 (4 ounces) cans sliced mushrooms, drained

1 (6 ounces) package long grain and wild rice

Dash of dried thyme

1 (2 ounce) package sliced almonds

Combine all ingredients except almonds. Pour into a greased 11-by-14-inch baking dish. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Do you have a recipe you’re known for, or one that means something special to you? Send it to Terry Rombeck at trombeck@ljworld.com or 645 N.H., Lawrence, 66044.