Herb Stuffing
A wonderful herb stuffing recipe for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.
One of the quintessential Thanksgiving dinner side dishes has to be stuffing. Though it is typically served with turkey (and often cooked inside said turkey) there's no hard and fast rule that says it can't be served with other meats or for other occasions. If there's a holiday dinner involved, then this herb stuffing is a welcome edition to the table.
As with everything, moderation is key. Stuffing is essentially just bread. I wouldn't eat half a loaf of bread at one sitting so I let that thought guide how much stuffing I scoop onto my plate. This herbed stuffing is delicious though, so overindulgence can be a hard thing to avoid.
This stuffing recipe is dairy-free and suitable for ovo-lacto vegetarians. For a gluten-free stuffing, simply use a favourite gluten-free bread.
Stuffing can be made the day before and heated up prior to dinner. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days, or frozen in a freezer-safe container and thawed the next time it's needed.
Ingredients
(Makes 16 servings)
14 cups Italian bread, cubed and toasted (1, 1/2 to 2 loaves of bread, gluten-free if required)
1 cup plant-based butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced (or sweet onion)
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups vegetable stock, lukewarm (or chicken stock)
2 large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Prepare a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and set aside. Prepare a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish with a light coating of cooking spray and set aside.
Once the bread is cubed, spread it out over the sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bread is toasted, then transfer into a large bowl and set aside.
In a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the butter. Once the butter is melted and starting to bubble, add the onion, celery, and salt. Sauté the onion and celery until they begin to soften (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute. Add the herbs and ground black pepper, mix well and continue sautéing for another minute. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the onion and herb mixture over the bread and toss to distribute evenly.
In a medium mixing bowl add the remaining vegetable stock and whisk in the 2 eggs. The stock should be lukewarm, not hot. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and combine by folding to help maintain the shape of the cubes.
Transfer the stuffing into the casserole dish and bake uncovered for 1 hour. If the top begins to get too dark, loosely tent the dish with a piece of aluminium foil.
Transfer to a serving dish and fluff with a fork, or serve from the casserole dish.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 177 | total fat = 8.03g | saturated fat = 2.23g | cholesterol = 24.38mg | sodium = 497.69mg | net carbohydrates = 19.85g | dietary fibre = 1.31g | sugars = 2.26g | protein = 4.65g
