Dondero: Taking the bread out of dressing

For many, including some in my family, the turkey dressing is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner.

But it can be repetitious and can be "bready."

In addition, some people at the holiday table might be avoiding wheat and its gluten for health reasons. Here, for a change, is an elegant turkey dressing that doesn't involve bread.

The traditional rice dressing for roast lamb in Greece and the Middle East inspires something similar for roast turkey, but with American seasonings.

I like "sausage" dressing and for years have made my own breakfast-style sausage. These days, I work sausage ingredients into the dressing rather than prepare the sausage meat separately.

For this dressing, I like Uncle Ben's rice.

This American "converted" rice (par-cooked, then dried before milling) has long been exported to Greece and the Middle East, where it is made into pilaf. That includes the ground meat and dried fruit pilaf for stuffing whole roast lamb.

The rice has a unique texture and flavor, cooks into very separate grains and can absorb festive amounts of butter. Mahatma brand rice also works well. Either rice should be rinsed and drained before boiling in this recipe, though not for usual cooking.

The recipe makes enough dressing to accompany a roast turkey, and serves 8 to 10 people.

Sausage and Rice Dressing for Turkey

3 cups Uncle Ben's (or Mahatma) rice

41/2 cups unsalted chicken broth or water

31/4 teaspoons salt, divided

2 bay leaves, broken in half

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 pound ground pork or chicken

1 medium onion, diced

1 large stick celery, diced

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup (loose