Holiday Stuffing

A bowl of holiday stuffing on the table, with a pumpkin and a squash in the background.
Recipe Date: November 19, 2021
Serving Size: 8
Prep Time: 100 Minutes
Cook Time: 70 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Measurements: Imperial (US)

PAIR WITH: Pinot Hill, Pinot Hill West

You can’t go wrong with these four classic herbs for the holidays, you might recognize them from the Simon & Garfunkel song—parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. This stuffing combines them with sweet dried cranberries, tart apples, and savory vegetables for a rich, warm dish infused with the flavors of the season to share with friends and family. It also pairs perfectly with our Pinot Hill or Pinot Hill West. 

From the kitchen of: Virtual Wine Concierge Jean Flintsmith

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1½ cup onion, chopped
  • 1½ cup celery, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
  • ½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 loaf (1 lb, or about 10 cups) loaf crusty Italian or French bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
  • 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • 2-2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Bread:

  1. Spread the cubed bread in a single layer on two large sheet pans and let dry for a few hours or overnight. 
  2. Preheat the oven to 300° F. Adjust oven racks to lower- and upper-middle positions.
  3. Bake the bread, stirring and switching sheets halfway through baking for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to let it cool.
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.

Herbs:

  1. Remove the herbs from their stems. Keeping everything separate, chop the onion, celery, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, apple, and pecans.

Vegetables:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet before adding the onion and celery. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until onion and celery are translucent, stirring occasionally. Move off the heat and set aside.

Stuffing:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the herbs and bread cubes and toss to combine. 
  2. Add the cooked vegetables and mix it all together.
  3. Melt the butter, then add to the mixing bowl and toss to combine thoroughly.
  4. Add in 1½ cups of the chicken broth and carefully toss to coat as much as you can.
  5. Add in the dried cranberries, apple, and pecans and mix. 
  6. Bit by bit, add the remaining broth until it starts binding together but ISN’T soggy. You may or may not use it all. Season with salt and pepper.
    • If you like to stuff the turkey, go ahead and use some of the stuffing to loosely pack the bird’s cavity. 
  7. Put the remaining mixture into a baking pan (9”x13” if not stuffing the bird, 9”x9” if you are), cover it with foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes until steamy. 
  8. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes if you like the top to be a bit crispy. Serve immediately alongside glasses of Pinot Hill, and enjoy!
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