Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 (7.25-ounce) jar peeled whole chestnuts, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, sausage crumbled
• 1 large onion
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth

Instructions

1. Cook wild rice in large saucepan of salted boiling water until tender and grains just begin to split, about 45 minutes. Drain. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine cooked rice, chestnuts, and parsley in large bowl. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion and sauté until meat is browned and cooked through, stirring frequently and breaking up meat with fork, about 7 minutes. Add apples and thyme and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Pour sausage mixture over rice mixture in bowl; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bake until hot and liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes.