Cranberry Apple Stuffing
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and I CAN NOT WAIT!
We were smoking turkey legs a few months ago and the kids and I created this fall stuffing to have along side them; we absolutely fell in love with it! A stuffing that is quick to make and perfect for anytime during fall, not just Thanksgiving!
My son requested that I also make this Cranberry Apple one in addition to our traditional Thanksgiving stuffing because he loves it that much. I have to agree! The tartness from the cranberries combines with the sweetness of the apples plus the herbs and warm spices; it just screams fall!!
(You can also brown some sausage and add that in while mixing everything together if you want)
If you need another quick homemade recipe for Thanksgiving try this cranberry sauce!
Cranberry Apple Stuffing Recipe:
1 batch of homemade cube stuffing
1/2 cup butter
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup diced onion
1-2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
1 large apple chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each freshly ground salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock
Prepare your homemade cubed stuffing at least a few hours ahead of time or days before (you can use store bought cubed stuffing (about 8-9 cups), however the liquid amounts may need to be adjusted)
Add cubed stuffing, chopped apple, unsweetened cranberries, honey, and spices to a large dutch oven or baking dish that has a lid (or a large bowl if you would like to mix everything together and THEN transfer to the dutch oven/baking dish before cooking)
Sauté sliced celery, diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped thyme in butter over medium heat until tender; about 7-8 minutes. Let cool slightly before pouring over the cubed stuffing
Add eggs to the cubed stuffing mix and about 1/2 cup of chicken stock
Use your hands to mix the stuffing; adding more chicken stock, a small amount at a time, until the cubes all seem to have softened (are tender and moist throughout) but are not soggy. Allow the bread cubes to absorb the liquid before adding more, you don’t want it to be soggy!
Heat the oven to 350* and let the stuffing sit for at least 20-30 minutes while the oven is heating; check again to see if more stock is needed. Tasting a stuffing cube is an easy way to tell if you need more liquid!
Bake at 350* with a lid on the pan, for about 45 minutes
I tested freezing some of the stuffing after baking to save for later and it worked perfectly!