Years ago I found a recipe for cranberry apple stuffing in some magazine. Since then it’s been modified and changed to fit our taste. It’s become my family’s favorite stuffing, so we can’t have any holiday meal without it. You can stuff it in a turkey, but we prefer it on the side since we don’t really like soggy stuffing.
This is a half recipe, which will probably serve eight normal people. If you are a stuffing junkie, or are feeding a crowd, double it.
Cranberry Apple Stuffing
Preparation Time about 45 minutes. Cooking time, about an hour.
Pre heat oven to 350°. Prepare an 8″ X 12″ pan grease or spray with oil.
Ingredients:
Half of a 14 oz. package of cubed, seasoned bread crumbs, preferably one with a lot of sage. Brownberry or Pepperidge farm is good.
One 8 oz. package of corn bread stuffing, one with a larger crumb size is nicer, but any will do. Or use a similar quantity of your own leftover cornbread.
1 large apple, unpeeled, but cored and chopped, preferably granny smith but any will do.
3 or 4 large-ish stalks of celery, with some of the leaves if possible, chopped.
1/2 package of cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 to 1 cup of finely chopped parsley leaves
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 teas pepper
1/4 teas. salt
1/2 T marjoram
1/2 T thyme
1 T. rubbed sage
2 eggs
1 cup of chicken broth – canned is fine
Instructions:
Melt the the half stick of butter in a sauté pan big enough to contain the the celery and the onions. Sauté celery and onions until softened.
Mix all dry ingredients including herbs, apples and cranberries in a large mixing bowl. When the celery and onions are done dump them into the bowl, stir together. Add all the eggs and stir together. Add the cup of broth and stir together. It should be pretty damp and slightly sticky, but not soggy. When everything is well mixed, Put it into an 8″ X 12″ pan ( or something comparable) sprayed with oil. Pat the stuffing down, so it is somewhat compact, but don’t mash it too tightly.
Bake in a 350° oven for half an hour covered with aluminum foil. Remove the foil and bake for half an hour more. Be careful not to burn the bottom. Every oven is different. This can be made ahead refrigerated, and then reheated in the microwave or in the oven. If you are reheating in the oven, cut the original cooking time by 15 minutes or so, and then finish in the oven later.