The ultimate holiday side dish

Stuffing (or dressing) is a holiday staple for so many families. I used to not be such a huge fan because it never tasted that good to me. Once I started cooking for my family and friends over the holidays, I realized how fun it was to get creative with stuffing because you can add just about anything to it. They key to good stuffing is using really good bread. I love to use sourdough bread because the sweetness from the onion and apple pairs so nicely with it. I also found that cooking the stock with the actual vegetables infuses if with all the flavor, so when you add it to the bread, the bread is absorbing as much flavor as possible. 

Serves around 10 people 

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 50 Minutes 

Ingredients:

2 1lb loaves of Sourdough, cubed (965g total, I used Rosemary Sea Salt Sourdough from The Fresh Market)

32 OZ (907g) Chicken or Vegetable Stock

4 Tbs (56g) Unsalted Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced (285g)

1 Medium Fuji Apple, peeled and diced (230g) 

3 Stalks Celery, diced (280g)

6 Fresh Sage Leaves, minced (2g)

1 Tbs Fresh Thyme, chopped (5g) 

1/3 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley (16g)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. 

2.     In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter until bubbling then add the onion, apple, and celery and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the onions turn translucent and the apples and celery start to become tender. Meanwhile, heat the stock in a pan until steaming. 

3.     Add the chopped herbs and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the hot stock and cook until steaming. Season again with salt and pepper.

4.     In a very large bowl or pot, add the bread cubes and stock mixture and toss until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Pour the stuffing into the prepared dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. 

-       Note – This stuffing can be made up to 2 days in advance! Just make the stuffing to the point of putting it in the dish and covering it with foil, then simply refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it!