Alright guys! This one is a doozy... but it is SO worth the end result!
First things first... if you do not have gut issues and you are wanting to try a whole new Thanksgiving you should absolutely check out this Rum Glazed Turkey with Buttery Apple Chestnut Stuffing recipe! This was our Friendsgiving GO-TO for nearly 13 years and let me tell you... I had this recipe down pat! I knew the timing of everything had notes and yes I had the printed recipes because I'm a physical paper kind of gal 😜 So of course it was covered in butter and thanksgiving fixings! Lol! However I have had to modify pretty much EVERYTHING over the last 3 years so here is my modified version of this delicious stuffing!
The apples and chestnuts give this SO much flavor! While there is a bit more prep work making homemade sourdough stuffing, you can easily swap it with this Beckmann's Traditional Stuffing Mix Butter and Herbs mix has been my GO-TO for so many years!
Alright let's get to it!
Make your own sourdough bread:
I use one large loaf of sourdough bread and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 pound.)
INSTRUCTIONS:
TO DRY BREAD CUBES ON THE COUNTER:
Cube and dry the bread up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered with a dry kitchen towel on the counter
TO DRY BREAD CUBES IN THE OVEN:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Place cubes in an even layer and bake untiln bread is dried out, about 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on them. They will cook different depending on how small you cut them!
NOTES:
1.Bread: You can use almost any type of high-quality bread: unsliced French or Italian bread, sturdy sandwich loaf, brioche, challah, or even corn bread. Avoid overly-soft or fluffy white sandwich loaves.
2.Yield: A 1-pound bread loaf usually makes 10 cups of bread cubes, enough for a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish of stuffing, or 10 to 12 servings (assume 1 cup stuffing per person).
3.Make ahead: The dried cubes can stay at room temperature up to 4 days in advance. Keep them in a dry, cool place.
APPLE CHESTNUT STUFFING INGREDIENTS:
> 4 tablespoons butter, Plus 12 tablespoons of melted butter
> 1/2 cup diced carrots
> 1 cup diced celery
> 1 Bunch of green onions chopped (GREEN PART ONLY FOR SENSITIVE GUT!)
> 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
> 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
> 8 ounces roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped chestnuts
> 2 Honey crisp apples, cored and diced
> 8 ounce Native Forest Crimini Canned Mushrooms
> 1 TBSP Garlic Infused Olive Oil
> 1 1/2 pounds sourdough bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted
> 2 eggs, lightly beaten
> 1 cup chicken stock (I make my own for sensitive gut! Find the recipe here!) Plus I like to use drippings from the turkey! Don't overly soak... just add some for that delicious flavor instead of stuffing your bird!!
> Pink Himalayan Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add carrots and celery and saute until tender.
2.Transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with parsley, sage, chestnuts, apples, mushrooms and bread.
3.Pour eggs, stock and remaining 12 tablespoons of melted butter over, season with salt and pepper and toss again well. If the stuffing is too dry add a bit more stock or water. It should not be saturated or soggy, though.
6.Transfer into a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F until it smells fragrant. Typically around 15-20 minutes. I usually pop this in the oven when I put the green bean casserole dish in!
5.Serve with your main course and enjoy!
