To be honest, I usually skip right over the stuffing when I’m filling my plate on Thanksgiving. It just usually feels kind of… unexciting, seems mushy, and with so many other delicious options, I tend to pass right over it and double up on carrot soufflé instead. But this stuffing!? This one changes everything! Here’s a stuffing you’ll never want to skip — it’s golden, flavorful, herby, savory but also a little sweet, and has the perfect combination of soft center with crispy edges. It’s everything stuffing should be — but a little lighter, fresher, and gluten-free.
This stuffing starts with gluten-free cornbread — you could go homemade, but you know I love a shortcut, so I used Pamela’s gluten-free mix instead. You’ll make the cornbread a day early so it has time to dry out overnight — that way it can soak up tons of flavor without turning mushy when you cook it the next day. The stuffing is loaded with celery, onions, apples, garlic, cranberries, and tons of herbs so it has plenty of textures and flavors in every bite. It makes the whole kitchen smell like the holidays and it will have all of your friends and family going back for seconds. Can’t wait for you to try it!
To see the step-by-step of this recipe, check out this reel.
Ingredients
12-13 cups cubed gf cornbread* (made the day before) – I used 2 bags Pamela’s GF Cornbread Mix
4 tbsp butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
5 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 apples, diced (Honeycrisp or Pink Lady)
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
1¼ cups dried cranberries
1 tsp sea salt
½–1 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
2½ cups vegetable broth
Plus: extra herbs and cranberries for garnish
*For the cornbread, I used 2 bags Pamela’s Gluten-Free cornbread mix. I made it according to package instructions but used avocado oil in place of butter and honey in place of sugar, measured according to the replacement instructions on the package.
Instructions
- The day before: make the cornbread (see note above). Cook according to package instructions. Let it cool, then slice into 1-inch cubes. They don’t need to be perfect, but roughly the same size is ideal. Spread the cubes out on a baking sheet, uncovered, and let them dry out overnight.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the cornbread croutons in the oven for 20 minutes to further dry them out. This step is optional, depending how dry your cornbread seems. Mine was still somewhat moist even after being out overnight, so I figured why not dry it out a bit more!
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the apples and cook for 3–4 minutes, until slightly softened but not mushy.
- Add the sage, thyme, and parsley, and stir for 1–2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Transfer the dried cornbread cubes to a 9×13 baking sheet. Add the dried cranberries and the veggie-apple-herb mixture.
- Whisk the eggs with the vegetable broth, then pour it over the cornbread mixture. Fold/mix gently so you don’t break up the cornbread. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp. Add 5 extra minutes if you want deeper browning.
Garnish with extra fresh herbs, a sprinkle of dried cranberries, and some flaky sea salt before serving. Enjoy!
