As beloved as the classic boxed stuffing may be, you’ll find your family sneaking back for seconds with this rich, delicious stuffing. Apples and cranberries balance the robust flavor provided by broth and fresh herbs. Made from whole-grain bread, this stuffing provides better nutrition than most and will help you enjoy that Thanksgiving-full feeling without eating as much.
Apple, Onion & Cranberry Stuffing
Classic stuffing is amped up with some apples and cranberries. Combining white and whole-wheat bread offers delicious combination of flavor and texture. Stale bread and crusty bread work best for stuffing, so saving the heels of your sandwich bread in the freezer is a great, economic way to approach this recipe.
Tip: If you prefer to stick with dried herbs, reduce the amount by half, as dried herbs are more potent than fresh.
Servings: 8 (229 g )
Prep Time: 45 min.
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 min.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole-wheat bread, cubed
- 4 cups white bread, cubed
- 1 ½ tsp. canola oil
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 apples, peeled and chopped
- 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 4 tsp. chopped fresh sage
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup cranberries, chopped
- Pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted (15-20 minutes).
- While bread is toasting, heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (5-7 minutes). Add apples, cook for 3 minutes longer. Add ¾ cup broth, sage and thyme.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until the apples are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated (5-7 minutes). Add the toasted bread and cranberries. Drizzle remaining broth over the mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Season with pepper.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Transfer stuffing to a lightly oiled casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake until heated through (35-45 minutes). If you would like a crisp top, uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking.