Apple and Cranberry Stuffing (Fresh Herbs)

This Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing recipe is a savoury vegetarian side dish for your holiday table. Packed with tart apples, cranberries and herbs for maximum flavour, the entire family is sure to go seeking seconds. It’s still the best stuffing recipe I’ve tested so far.

10 cups sourdough bread, cubed (~ 1 loaf)
1 stick butter
2 ribs celery
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 large Granny or Golden apple, diced, peeling optional
1 cup fresh cranberries
2½ cups vegetable stock
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
nonstick cooking spray

If using a fresh bread, cube or tear into small pieces the evening before. Arrange on a baking sheet and allow to stale overnight. If using stuffing cubes, skip to Step 2.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and prepare a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or oil.

In a large skillet, melt one Tbsp. of butter over medium-high heat. Prepare the celery by slicing down the middle of each rib, then chop into a small dice. Dice the onion, then add both to the skillet with the butter. Season and allow to cook until translucent and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Melt the rest of the butter in the skillet.

Meanwhile, chop the fresh herbs and add to a large mixing bowl with the sourdough bread. Core and dice the apple, then add to the mixing bowl along with the fresh cranberries. Pour half of the vegetable stock over the mixture and fold together to combine.

Whisk the eggs into the remaining vegetable stock. When the onion-celery mixture is ready, add to the mixing bowl. Fold to combine, then pour the remaining liquid over the top.

Transfer to the prepared casserole dish and spread in an even layer. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and return to the oven to bake 10-15 minutes more, or until the top begins to brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving and garnish with additional herbs if desired. Serve immediately, or hold warm until ready to serve.

Cook's Notes:

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave in short bursts, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
• Around the holidays, leftovers finally have their chance to shine. And as a general rule, most foods are fine to eat for up to three to four days. That is, if they last that long. After that, the risk for food-borne illnesses (AKA food poisoning) goes up and nothing will ruin a holiday quite like a bout of awful GI misbehavior. My rule of thumb is to freeze anything that I don’t think will get eaten or used within four days.
• And when it doubt, throw it out. Food waste sucks, no doubt, so use these tips to avoid it as much as possible:
• Be mindful of the “Danger Zone” which is the temperature range of 40 degrees to 140 degrees F.
• Once cooked, hold hot foods hot (about 140 degrees F) for up to two hours, but then transfer them to the fridge. Same with cold foods; keep them below 40 degrees and return to the refrigerator as soon as possible. Bacteria thrives at room temperature, so don’t let anything sit too long that shouldn’t be left out.
• If storing leftovers, cool them quickly to avoid long periods of time in the Danger Zone. You can take large dishes and divide them into smaller, shallower containers or cut them into smaller pieces to help speed up the cooling process.
• Keep food safety in mind when reheating leftovers, too. No matter how you’re heating them, check to make sure the temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F and stir or rotate your dish to make sure it heats more evenly.