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.
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.
Chef's Practical Notes
Ensure you brown the meat thoroughly; that "crispy crust" is where all the flavor for the gravy comes from.