Apple, Walnut and Cranberry Stuffing

Hello Everyone,

Today I have for you one of my all time favorite recipes that I seem to only make once a year!  It’s my Apple, Walnut and Cranberry Stuffing.  I love stuffing, love it!  I don’t get why I only have this once a year?  It’s easy to make and so darn tasty!  My guess it’s because I have no self-control when it comes to stuffing!  I keep picking at it until it’s gone!!!  At least I know it won’t go to waste!

Just look at all those apples!  Yummy!  I don’t think stuffing is stuffing without apples!  Matter in fact I love apples so much that one year I stuffed my turkey with apples.  My Husband didn’t like that because he said his gravy tasted like apples.  It doesn’t bother me in the gravy because I don’t care for gravy!  It’s all him!!  My Husband likes gravy so much that I have to buy a spare box of it, just in case he runs out.  His dinner plate is basically a bowl of gravy with a side of mashed potatoes and turkey.  He doesn’t eat anything else.  He doesn’t want rolls or stuffing, just gravy and mashed potatoes!  For me, I’m opposite!  I like the side dishes better, you know roasted corn, stuffing and rolls.  I guess you can tell I love my carbs!

For Thanksgiving this year I was planning on making a roasted chicken because the cost of turkey was so high and it’s just my Husband and I.  We don’t need a 20lbs turkey, it’s so wasteful.  So I bought a roasted chicken from Trader Joe’s and my Husband was happy with that.  Then he texted me the next day and told me that his work is giving him a turkey for Thanksgiving.  Figures!  I thought I would get out of making a turkey this year, I guess not.  So it’s roasted chicken for dinner tonight with a side of my stuffing.

I made this stuffing as healthy as I could!  I used Alvarado Street Flax Seed Bread slices, cut them up into cubes and baked them in the oven for about 7 minutes.  Stuffing makes a good use for bread that is just starting to get stale.  I originally was going to add two chicken apple sausages from Trader Joe’s, but when I was already cooking my stuffing, I dug for the sausage in the freezer and I was out.  I only had Jalapeno Sausage which is good, but I didn’t want to add that to my stuffing, so I went meatless on this one.  If you do add sausage, which would be sooooooooo good, add it in after sauteing the onions and celery and cook for a few minutes, then add your apples and seasoning.

The seasoning in the stuffing is perfect!  I added 4 fresh sage leaves, sliced thin, a pinch of thyme and salt and pepper.  I don’t know what it is but stuffing is so good with sage!!  I also like sage under the skin of the turkey, but again that is another ingredient my Husband doesn’t like.  Last year we got into a little tiff, so I made him make the turkey.  He didn’t want to add lemons to it or anything.  He wanted it plain, rubbed down with a stick of butter.  When he read the recipe on the package it said to add lemons, I laughed!!  Yes, I did help him make it, but I wasn’t to happy with all that butter!  I think that day he turned into Paula Dean!  Me, I like Olive Oil on my turkey!

Apple, Walnut and Cranberry Stuffing

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 5 Approx 5 cups

• Serving size: 1 Cup

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  40 mins

Total time:  50 mins

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A traditional herb stuffing that is moist and made with sweet apples, dried cranberries and walnuts,

Ingredients

• 4 cups wheat bread, cubed (I used flax seed bread at 50 calories a slice)
• 1 tbsp. butter (I used Brummel and Brown)
• ½ cup (58 grams)onion, diced
• ½ cup (38 grams) celery, diced
• 1½ cups (170 grams) apples, peeled, cored, diced
• 4 sage leaves, sliced thin or ¼ tbsp dried sage
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ (1 oz) walnuts, chopped small

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place bread cubes onto a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the bread is dried. Let the bread cool and place in a large bowl.
3. Leave the oven on. In a large skillet add butter, onions and celery, cook until softened about 5 minutes. Add the the apples, and seasonings and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add apple mixture into bowl with bread crumbs; add chicken broth, cranberries and walnuts. Mix until all the bread is covered with broth.
5. Spray an oven safe cooking dish with cooking spray and add your stuffing and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for 15 more minutes. If you want a crispy top to your stuffing bake for a little longer, approx 10 minutes more.

Notes

Calories per serving: 187.3, Fat: 7, Sodium: 363, Potassium: 106.3, Carbs: 28.4, Fiber: 6.4, Sugar: 8.7, Protein: 7.1

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I hate when I write posts and I think of all the things I want to tell you about the dish, but when I start to type I start to forget.  I know there is something I want to tell you.  What is it?     Ok, I remember, I made the serving size for 5 people, which is approximately 1 cup.  This serving size is perfect for two for three people, if you are serving a bigger party, double the recipe.  The cooking time should remain the same.  This bread is very moist, if you like a crispy topping, bake it in the oven with the foil off for approximately 10 minutes longer.  I put that in my directions.  One last thing, if you want to make this vegan, omit the chicken broth and use vegetable broth, that would be fantastic too!!  Hmmm, I think that is it!

I would love to know what your favorite Thanksgiving recipe is and if there is a recipe you want me to make this week.  Since I’m off, I’ll have a little more time to cook and bake.

Have a great Saturday!!!

Toodles,

Jennifer

P.S.  Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for the Special K Girly Gift Basket.  Last day to enter is today!!

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