Fruit & Toasted Almond Stuffing for Thanksgiving

Recipe by Cook's Hideout

Stuffing is a quintessential Thanksgiving side dish. I never understood the concept for stuffing, to me stuffing has to be inside something to be called that, but this stuffing is usually served on the side. There are regional differences in the way stuffing is made. Southerners make their stuffing, called dressing in the South, from cornbread, while those in the other parts of the country make it from white, wheat or rye bread as base. Apples, chestnuts, raisins, celery and/ or other vegetables, sausage are added to stuffing. Generally there is meat added to the stuffing and even if it...

Ingredients

• 8 cups Oatmeal Bread (Multigrain or - cubed (I used homemade Honey Oat bread))
• 1 red onion (- small, thinly sliced)
• 1 apple (- medium, chopped)
• (1.25l) fish stock
• 1 celery (Stalk - sliced (I didn't add this))
• ⅓ cup cherries (Dry)
• 2 tbsps sage (Fresh cut into strips)
• 1 tsp thyme (Dried)
• (1.25l) fish stock (Crushed)
• (1.25l) fish stock
• (1.25l) fish stock (Ground)
• 1 tbsps balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsps maple syrup (Pure)
• 1 cups No Salt Vegetable Broth
• to taste Salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 225°F. Spread the bred cubes on baking sheet, and bake for 30~45 minutes or until dry and crisp. Transfer to large bowl.
2. Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Toast the almonds until pale brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Coat a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
4. Heat 3tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5~7 minutes on medium until soft and translucent.
5. Add celery (if using) and saute for 2 minutes more.
6. Stir in apples, sage, pepper, thyme, crushed red pepper, parsley and nutmeg. Season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Next add maple syrup and vinegar and turn off the heat.
8. Combine the apple mixture, bread cubes, almonds and dried cherries in the large bowl.
9. Transfer to prepared baking dish and pour broth over top. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until stuffing begins to brown on top,
10. If you prefer crisp stuffing, then remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Serve!!

View the recipe instructions at Cook's Hideout