Wild Rice and Pork Chops

6 pork chops
3 tbsp canola oil
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2½ cups water
1 can (8 oz) mushrooms
1 pkg. onion soup mix
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oil over medium high heat, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove chops from skillet, set aside. In large casserole, mix remaining ingredients. Place browned pork chops on top of wild rice mixture. Cover and bake approximately 2 hours.

6 servings.

In 1976, Mike Nistler was just 17 years living on a farm in Shooks, MN. A friend of the family stopped by the farm looking to hire a tractor operator for his wild rice paddies. Mike took the job and, a few years later, was given the opportunity to buy the farm. Mike has been in the wild rice business ever since. With a lot of hard work and determination, Mike has built his farm to an operation of roughly 500 acres.

Mike and his wife Cathy have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Most of his children are spread throughout Minnesota, but his son Chris decided to stay close to home and follow in his father’s footsteps as a wild rice farmer. Mike’s grandson Ethan is also a big help on the farm.

Mike's family and faith are very important to him and he always finds time to spend with his grandchildren when they come to visit. Mike lives by the motto that if you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life.

Recipe compliments of the Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council