This amazing wild-rice stuffing recipe is bursting with rustic flavors, including rye bread, sausage, apples, dried cherries, pecans and fresh herbs.

Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple and Sausage

Makes 14 servings, 1 cup each.

Active Time: 1 1/4 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

1 1/4 cups wild rice (8 ounces)

4 cups cubed Jewish rye bread (1/2-inch cubes), preferably day-old

1 pound sweet turkey sausage, casings removed

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

2 tart apples, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup diced celery

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken or turkey broth

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Place rice in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by about 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour. (Or prepare according to package directions.) Drain well.

Meanwhile, spread bread on a baking sheet; bake, stirring once halfway through, until dry and crisp, about 25 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 425 F. Coat a 3- to 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

About 15 minutes before the rice is done, cook sausage and leeks in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add apples and celery; cook for 3 minutes more.

Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl. Add the rice and bread, then stir in broth, cherries, pecans, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil.

Bake the stuffing for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.

To Make Ahead: Prepare rice (Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; toast bread (Step 3), cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 290 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 24 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrate; 5 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 5 g fiber; 523 mg sodium; 339 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Zinc (17 percent daily value), Folate (15 percent dv).

2 1/2 carbohydrate servings

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)