by Danae · Published: Nov 14, 2022
This Cranberry Apple Stuffing is so good you’ll want to make a meal out of it! Made with sourdough bread, sweet apples, dried cranberries, and plenty of fresh herbs. It’s crispy on top, moist underneath and has the perfect balance of savory and sweet flavors. A must for Thanksgiving dinner!
Looking for an alternative to bread stuffing? Try my wild rice stuffing!
Why you’ll love it
Sourdough bread – Generally stuffing is just made with white bread, that’s how I always ate it growing up. Sourdough takes it to the next level. That hint of tangy flavor paired with the sweetness from the apples and dried cranberries is the perfect combination.
Apples and cranberries – The sweet apples and dried cranberries add an unexpected sweet flavor that pairs well with the savory onion, celery, and fresh herbs.
Freezer friendly – If you’ve got leftover stuffing, you’re in luck! It freezes great. Check out my instructions below regarding freezing and reheating.
Stuffing vs. dressing: What’s the difference?
Traditionally stuffing is stuffed inside the turkey while it roasts in the oven. Dressing is cooked in a separate baking dish rather than being stuffed inside the turkey cavity.
Stuffing won’t get any crispy bread bits in it unlike dressing. There’s also a slight sanitation risk since it will be cooking inside a raw turkey. If you choose to fill the turkey cavity with stuffing make sure bread and turkey thighs are cooked to a minimum of 165° F.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Sourdough bread – I love using a crusty artisan sourdough bread for this stuffing. The tanginess of the bread paired with the sweet apples and cranberries is so good!
- Apples – I used Honeycrisp apples, but Pink Ladies, Gala, or Golden Delicious would be great too. I recommend a sweet, crisp variety.
- Dried cranberries
- Yellow onion
- Celery
- Fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, and flat leaf parsley – To save money on the fresh herbs, look for a box labeled poultry herbs. It should contain all of them except the parsley.
- Unsalted butter
- egg – acts as a binder. If you have an egg allergy you can omit it.
- Low sodium chicken broth – vegetable broth or turkey broth can be used as well.
How to make cranberry apple stuffing
Dry out the bread – Cut the bread into cubes and then place them spread them out onto a baking sheet. You may need to use two baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes tossing the bread cubes halfway during the baking time. They should feel like croutons when they’re done.
Sauté the vegetables and apples – In a large skillet sauté the onions and celery in the butter for about 7-8 minutes. Be sure to season them with salt and pepper.
Add in the diced apples, dried cranberries, and fresh herbs and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. The apples should be soft with a little bite to them, not mushy.
Combine the ingredients – Add the bread and vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the chicken broth and egg and pour it in with the bread mixture. Stir everything together and add additional salt, pepper and chicken broth. You want it to be wet, but not soupy.
Bake – Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and fill it with the stuffing. Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. This will allow the top to get a little crispy.
Storage, freezing, and reheating
Once the stuffing is baked it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. After that you’ll want to freeze it. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat the stuffing you can either microwave individual portions or put it in a casserole or oven safe baking dish and bake it at 350° F. for about 20 minutes. You’ll likely need too add additional chicken broth to it to keep it from drying out.
More Thanksgiving and holiday side dishes
- slow cooker mashed potatoes
- whole wheat dinner rolls
- bourbon orange cranberry sauce
- balsamic maple roasted brussels sprouts with bacon
- Autumn apple and pear salad
Did you make this cranberry apple stuffing? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Yield: 10 servings
Cranberry Apple Stuffing
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 loaf artisan sourdough bread, cut into cubes (about 9-10 cups)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups diced celery
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, diced
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus extra as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F. Cut the bread into cubes and spread them out onto one or two baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes tossing the bread cubes halfway into the cooking time. Remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 325° F.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the onion, celery, salt and pepper. Sauté for 7-8 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add in the apples, dried cranberries, and herbs. Sauté another 3-4 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the bread and vegetable mixture.
- In a bowl whisk together the egg and chicken broth. Pour over the stuffing and stir everything together. Season with additional salt and pepper and add more chicken broth as needed. The stuffing should be wet, but not soupy. I ended up need about another 1/4 - 1/2 cup of broth.
- Pour the stuffing into a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 263Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 306mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 3gSugar: 16gProtein: 7g
Nutritional information is an estimate. Please consult a registered dietician for the most accurate nutritional information.
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Hi, I’m Danae! Blogger, photographer, and avid runner! My mission is to create delicious, mostly healthy, easy, and balanced meals that use a variety of fresh and affordable ingredients. You’ll find everything from one pan skillet dinners, to colorful salads, comforting pasta recipes, the occasional treat, and more.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Holly Richard saysI loved the sourdough mixed with apples and cranberries! This is a must for making stuffing healthier and tastier.
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- Heidi S. says
Looking forward to making this at thanksgiving this year! Could dried herbs be used in adjusted amounts? Thanks!
Reply
- Danae says
Yes you can use dried herbs, but I highly recommend using the fresh herbs for the best flavor. I’d use poultry seasoning if using dried and probably about 1 1/2 teaspoons.
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