To stuff or not to stuff? Cooking the turkey sans stuffing not only helps the bird cook faster, but also allows those who don’t eat meat to enjoy some stuffing too. Either way, this recipe makes a lot! You’ll probably have enough to stuff a small turkey, if you like, and bake on the side. To save time, the day before the feast, pack the stuffing into a baking dish but don’t add the broth. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Tip: Much ado about stuffing
Keep the crusts on the bread—this adds great texture to this Cran-Apple Stuffing. Also, mix the stuffing in a roasting pan. The pan’s roomy shape makes mixing easier, and you’ll need one for the turkey anyway!
- 28 oz bag sliced sourdough bread coarsely torn
- 2 tbsp butter dairy-free if desired
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 stalks celery diced large
- 2 italian-style vegan sausages diced
- 2 apples diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp dried sage leaves
- 1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth warmed
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Divide bread pieces between two baking sheets. Bake until lightly toasted, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn into very large bowl or roasting pan.
- Heat butter and oil in large frying pan set over medium heat. Add celery, sausage, apple, onion, and cranberries. Sprinkle with sage, thyme, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
- Turn mixture over bread and toss to evenly mix. Spoon into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan or casserole dish. Drizzle with broth. Cover pan with foil; bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until warm and crusty, about 15 more minutes.
Per serving: 287 calories; 10 g protein; 7 g total fat (2 g sat. fat); 49 g total carbohydrates (8 g sugars, 3 g fiber); 698 mg sodium
