🍂 Autumn Harvest Dressing/Stuffing
Warm, slightly sweet-and-savory baked stuffing with apples, cranberries, pecans, and whole-grain bread - perfect alongside roast chicken, turkey, or pork.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 8 cups hearty bread cubes about 10 oz; we like a rustic sourdough, but you can also use a mix of white and whole wheat bread
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 2 apples peeled, cored, and diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries or mix with chopped dried apricots for variation
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar optional, for a slightly sweet twist
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning or 1 tsp sage + ½ tsp thyme
- 1¼ to 1½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup apple cider unfiltered if possible
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
- Prep:If you need to toast fresh bread, preheat your oven to 300°F. If you have day-old stale bread, there is no need to toast it and you can preheat your oven straight to 350°F.Get your ingredients ready.
- Prep bread: Cut bread into ¾-inch cubes and spread on a baking sheet. Toast at 300°F for 10–15 minutes, until lightly dry but not brown. remove from the oven and set aside to cool.Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.8 cups hearty bread cubes
- Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook 5–7 minutes until softened. Stir in apples, cranberries and nuts; cook 3–4 minutes more. Add brown sugar, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.4 tablespoons butter, 1 medium onion, 2 ribs celery, 2 apples, ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- Combine: Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add toasted bread cubes. Pour over broth, apple cider, and beaten eggs. Toss gently until bread is evenly moistened but not soggy - it should hold together when pressed but not drip liquid.1¼ to 1½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, ½ cup apple cider, 2 eggs
- Bake covered: Spread into a greased 2–2½ qt baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
- Finish baking:Uncover (gently stir if you like a more even texture - if you leave it as-is, the top will be crisper; either is delicious, just depends on your preference) and bake 15–20 minutes more until golden and crisp on top.Serve hot.
Notes
- Texture control: If you like drier, crispier stuffing, reduce liquid slightly. For softer, casserole-style dressing, add a few more tablespoons broth or cider.
- Make-ahead: Bake up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate, and reheat in the oven just before serving.
- Flavor upgrade: Add ¼ tsp cinnamon or a dash of nutmeg for a warm apple note; or toss in ½ lb cooked breakfast sausage for a heartier version.