Semi-homemade Almond Cranberry Stuffing will be the highlight of your Thanksgiving dinner. Using store bought stuffing mix, but amped up with almonds, cranberry, and apple for a gourmet flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
Stuffing (sometimes called dressing) is an edible mixture, normally consisting of small cut-up pieces of bread, onion, celery, salt, pepper, and other spices and herbs, a common herb being sage and served as a side dish or used to fill a cavity in poultry while cooking. Stuffing serves the dual purpose of helping to keep the meat moist while also adding to the mix of flavors of both the stuffing and the turkey.
This Cranberry Almond Stuffing is how my Mom does stuffing. Stuffing is my favorite side dish at a holiday meal. I love the savory flavors, and the moist yet firm texture. The ingredients that my mom includes in the dressing make it extra special and different than your run of the mill stove top stuffing.
About The Ingredients
A few things to note:
- dried cranberries - I suggest using dried cranberries in this recipe rather than fresh. The fresh can come of bitter if not prepared correctly, so opt for dried.
- cubed stuffing - buy a premed stuffing mixed that is seasoned with herbs.
How To Make Cranberry Almond Stuffing
This recipe uses boxed stuffing, so it is semi-homemade, but just as tasty as the real deal. The made from scratch stuffing recipe on this blog is AMAZING and results in a perfectly moist, but firm texture - so if you want to use that recipe as your base rather than a stuffing mix it would be delicious and impressive.
1. Start by chopping the fresh ingredients. (apple, onion & celery)
2. Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven.
3. Add apple, onion, and celery and saute until tender.
4. Toss in stuffing mix, dried cranberries, and almonds.
5. Pour in chicken broth and gently toss to combine.
6. Add seasonings.
7. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish and bake for about 40-45 minutes. Of course you can stuff this inside of your bird if you prefer.
8. Serve as a side dish to poultry.
Focus Your Efforts Where It Counts
I love using this semi-homemade recipe during a big meal like Thanksgiving dinner because it allows me to focus more of my efforts on pie and turkey.
This dish is also a great addition to your weekday chicken dinner.
Almond Cranberry Stuffing FAQ
The technical difference is how they're cooked. According to most dictionaries, stuffing is defined as “a mixture used to stuff another food, traditionally poultry, before cooking.” Dressing is cooked in a pan outside of the turkey cavity. Now days, the terms are used interchangeably.
According to the USDA: Stuffing should not be prepared ahead. The dry and wet ingredients for stuffing can be prepared ahead of time and chilled. However, do not mix wet and dry ingredients until just before spooning the stuffing mixture into a poultry cavity, in/on other meat, or into a casserole. If stuffing a whole turkey, chicken, or other bird, spoon the stuffing in loosely - about ¾ cup of stuffing per pound. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment.
The stuffed meat, poultry, or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. If the stuffing is inside whole poultry, take the poultry out of the oven and let it stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing. Refrigerate cooked poultry and stuffing within 2 hours. For meat containing small amounts of stuffing (for example: stuffed pork chops, veal breasts, or chicken breasts), meat and stuffing may be left intact when refrigerating the leftovers.
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Semi-Homemade Almond Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ onion diced
- 1 apple diced or shredded
- 4 celery ribs diced
- 28 ounces boxed herb stuffing mix
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
- 32 ounces chicken broth *sub vegetable broth for vegetarian
- 16-32 ounces water depending on how moist you like your stuffing
Instructions
- Saute onions, apples and celery in butter until tender in a large pot.
- Turn off heat, add almonds, cranberries, apple, stuffing mix, sage, rosemary, and salt and pepper.
- Stir in chicken broth. If you prefer a more moist stuffing - add a bit of water.
- Transfer to a greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Can be stuffing inside of a turkey if desired.
Notes
What's the difference between stuffing and dressing?
The technical difference is how they're cooked. According to most dictionaries, stuffing is defined as “a mixture used to stuff another food, traditionally poultry, before cooking.” Dressing is cooked in a pan outside of the turkey cavity. Now days, the terms are used interchangeably.Is it safe to eat stuffing that has been cooked inside of the bird?
According to the USDA: Stuffing should not be prepared ahead. The dry and wet ingredients for stuffing can be prepared ahead of time and chilled. However, do not mix wet and dry ingredients until just before spooning the stuffing mixture into a poultry cavity, in/on other meat, or into a casserole. If stuffing a whole turkey, chicken, or other bird, spoon the stuffing in loosely - about ¾ cup of stuffing per pound. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. The stuffed meat, poultry, or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. If the stuffing is inside whole poultry, take the poultry out of the oven and let it stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing. Refrigerate cooked poultry and stuffing within 2 hours. For meat containing small amounts of stuffing (for example: stuffed pork chops, veal breasts, or chicken breasts), meat and stuffing may be left intact when refrigerating the leftovers.Nutrition
Linda Mersing says
This recipe sounds amazing. I love the size and taste of stuffing baked in muffin cups. Would there be changes to baking time and if so, what would your suggestions be?
Thanks!
Kadee says
I love making them in a muffin pan! I would suggest baking them for about 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Kate says
Can you make this ahead and reheat for dinner?
Kadee says
Yes - make it up, put it in the fridge and then bake before dinner!
Erin V says
stuffing's always been my favorite part of thanksgiving- stoked to give this one a try this year!!!!