Cranberry Herb Bread Stuffing

Bread stuffing with cranberry, apple, sage and thyme leaves.

5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Herb Bread Stuffing

Cranberry Herb Bread Stuffing is made with classic flavors like onion, celery, sage and thyme plus apple and cranberry for a blend of sweet and savory. A crusty loaf of fresh bread makes this the perfect stuffing for your Thanksgiving table!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 40

Total Time1 50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 413kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

1 loaf rustic bread
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 Tablespoons butter divided, plus more to butter the dish
1 onion about 1½ cups chopped
3 stalks celery about 1½ cups chopped
2 apples about 2 cups chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 grinds fresh black pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
2 eggs
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup dried cranberries divided
3 Tablespoons fresh herbs rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the bread into cubes and toss it with olive oil in a 9x13 casserole dish. The amount should fill the casserole dish you plan to bake the stuffing. You may not use all your loaf of bread. Bake 40 minutes to dry out the bread, giving it a toss a few times during baking.
Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add 4 Tablespoons butter. Saute the onion and celery about 5 minutes. Then add apple, salt and pepper and saute 15 more minutes, until soft and beginning to caramelize. Stir often.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, stock, garlic, half the cranberries and half the herbs. Add the onion mixture and toasted bread, and mix very well.
Add the mixture back to the casserole dish. Top with the remaining cranberries and scatter 2 Tablespoons chopped butter over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs.
Cover with a lid or tightly with foil, and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Then remove cover and bake 20 to 30 minutes more until cooked through, golden and crusty on top.

Notes

You may need to add more stock when mixing everything together, you want the bread moist but not sitting in a pool of liquid. Keep mixing to get it all incorporated. 2 cups was just right for me, but you may need to add more depending on the type of bread.
Use any type of crusty artisan bread such as a French or Italian loaf, boule, ciabatta, challah, brioche, Ancient grains, sourdough, or hearty sandwich bread. It can be white or wheat in color.
If you feel the top is burning and the bottom isn't done, just put the cover back on. Remove the color to crisp the top.
How can I tell when it's done? - Pull up a few bread cubes in the middle of the pan and pull out a bit with a fork. If you still see liquid or the egg seems runny, give it another 5 minutes and check again.
Substitute turkey stock or vegetable stock for vegetarian stuffing.
Garnish with more fresh herbs.

Nutrition