This Cranberry Pecan Stuffing blends whole wheat and country croutons with sweet-tart cranberries, toasted pecans, and herbs. Use vegetable stock for a vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish.
¾poundfirm country white or "farmhouse" sandwich bread(I use Arnold or Pepperidge Farm)
¾poundfirm whole wheat sandwich bread
1cupsmall diced-celery(about ¼-inch dice)
2cupssmall diced yellow onion (about ¼-inch dice)
10tablespoonsunsalted butter, divided, plus additional for buttering the pan
2tablespoonsfresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1tablespoonfresh thyme leaves, chopped
½teaspoonpoultry seasoning(I use Bell's)
1-½teaspoonskosher salt, plus additional to taste
1teaspoonfreshly-ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
1cupdried sweetened cranberries
1cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans
¼cupfresh Italian parsley leaves,, chopped
2-½ to 3cupslow sodium turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock, plus additional, as needed
2largeeggs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut breads into ½- to ¾-inch cubes, leaving crusts on. Spread into an even layer on two baking sheets.
Bake 50-60 minutes, until bread is lightly-toasted and dry throughout. Rotate pans halfway through baking time. Let croutons cool completely at room temperature.
Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart gratin or shallow baking dish.
Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add celery and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in 1-½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, sage, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until herbs are fragrant.
In a large bowl, mix together croutons, onion and celery mixture, dried cranberries, pecans, and parsley. Moisten with 1-¾ cups broth or stock and let stand for a few minutes for the bread to soak up the liquid. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
In the liquid measuring cup, beat together ½ cup broth/stock and the eggs. Fold mixture into the stuffing mixture to combine. If the stuffing seems dry, add some of the additional liquid a little bit at a time. The broth should permeate the croutons, but the mixture should not be "mushy".**
Transfer stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cut the remaining butter into small cubes and scatter over the top of the stuffing. Cover the pan with a piece of foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, until edges are crispy and center reads 165 degrees F.
Let stuffing rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Be sure you're using "low sodium" and not "reduced sodium" broth or stock when adding the quantity of kosher salt listed in the recipe. The brand I use when using store-bought (Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Stock) has 40 mg of sodium per cup. Homemade stock, such as my Turkey Stock, will typically not contain salt. If using a saltier broth or stock, adjust the added salt accordingly.**I usually need 3 cups total of liquid in the recipe. Adjust the quantity as needed for the brands of bread you're using and your family's preferences for how soft/moist you like your stuffing to be.
To Stuff a Turkey:
Loosely fill the turkey cavity with freshly-prepared stuffing (do not pack). Be sure the center of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F before removing it from the bird.Bake any stuffing that won't fit in the turkey in a buttered baking dish, as directed above.
Baking Stuffing in a Pan:
Since pan-cooked stuffing doesn't get the benefit of the turkey juices during baking, I sometime drizzle a little extra broth over the stuffing in the pan before baking. (About ¼ cup.) It depends on how moist my croutons have gotten during assembly. Judge it by eye.
To Toast Pecans:
Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 5-8 minutes, until fragrant.