Mother's Wild Rice Casserole

My mother made this often when we were young...and served it with wild game the family brought back from hunting expeditions.....duck, pheasant or quail. She made it with Velveeta (Quelle horreur! Remember, the WWII generation of housewives used Velveeta in everything.) but you can use a nice cheddar. It couldn't be simpler as it merely throws a bunch of ingredients together in a casserole and into the oven it goes. The only thing you have to remember is the soaking overnight and I parboil the rice for 15 or 20 minutes before I throw it together with the other ingredients.
I never used to parboil (and still can't figure out why it was necessary), but perhaps wild rice is processed differently now....at any rate I tried it last fall and the rice didn't cook enough for our taste, so I made a note to cook the rice a bit when I next made it. Easier than baking twice as long. So this is my second, and successful, try.

Mother's Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
1 cup wild rice, soaked overnight, drained, reserve fluid
1 cup diced Velveeta cheese (I used cheddar)
1 #2 can diced tomatoes
1 cup black olives, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
salt and pepper
2 ounces olive oil

Method:
Drain rice well and add water to cover. Parboil about 15 minutes. Drain and pour into casserole; mix in the other ingredients.
Bake 375 for 1 hour; if it looks too dry, add some of the reserved fluid.