Farmhouse Stuffing

Making dishes ahead of time and freezing them until Thanksgiving makes life so much easier. This stuffing is simple and freezes great. It's a basic recipe and is yummy as is or with all kinds of add-ins from mushrooms to fennel or even oysters if you like that twist. I usually stick with dried fruits and nuts, but you can follow your heart, or taste buds :) This recipe is also quick and easy enough to make it a weeknight side dish any time of the year. For the best stuffing results see the notes below the recipe.

Makes about 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 cups grain free bread and/or corn bread crumbs (I pulse slices from our baked loaf in the food processor)

2 cups broth (veggie, chicken or bone)

1 small onion

2 stalks celery

2 large carrots

1 teaspoon each dried parsley, sage (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs (optional)

1/4 cup cream or nut milk (optional)

Optional: Stir in 1/3 cup raisins, dried cranberries, dried, chopped apricots and/or pecans. Add other seasonings such as rosemary and/or thyme for a fancier dish.

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° and butter a large casserole dish.

3. Roughly chop the veggies and add to your blender with enough broth to chop them into small pieces.

5. Add the blender contents and the rest of the broth to a large stock pot and bring to a simmer.

6. Add seasonings, cover the pot and simmer a few minutes, just until the vegetables are tender.

6. Stir in the bread crumbs, cover and let set until the broth is mostly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Eat as is or continue with steps #7 and #8 below.

7. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the eggs and cream. Pour over the stuffing and toss to coat.

8. Transfer the stuffing mixture into the casserole dish and bake about 30-40 minutes until the top is brown and crunchy.

NOTES: Most stuffing recipes use butter (which we love) but I think our grain free bread makes the best stuffing without it. ALSO: If you dice or hand-crumble the bread, remove the crusts for best results (that's why I use my food processor, because the crusts get chopped up into fine pieces).

*We encourage the use of organic ingredients from sustainable sources and animal products that have been humanely, pasture-raised and grass-fed. Find the brands I use most here.