Whether your family makes “dressing” or “stuffing,” I guarantee it is one of the favorites on the table. No one can make it like my Mom and we can try but there is always something missing. If you are searching to start your own family dressing/stuffing tradition, whether you chose to use breadcrumbs or cornbread crumbs here are some tasty new ways to lighten-up your holiday meal!!
‘Lighter’ Southern cornbread dressing
1/4 pound mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
5 cups crumbled low-fat cornbread
1 1/2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a medium baking dish with nonstick spray.
Coat a medium skillet with nonstick spray. Add the onion, celery, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside to cool. To the bowl, add the cornbread, white bread, sage, and salt. Toss to mix. Add the broth, tossing to coat evenly. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, (about 4 links), casings removed
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornbread, parsley and sage. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil. Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.
Herbed Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms and Sausage
(Making your own bread cubes is easy and yields delicious results. You can prepare the toasted bread cubes two to three days before Thanksgiving; store at room temperature in a zip-top plastic bag.)
1 1/2 pounds peasant-style white bread
4 (4-ounce) links sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 teaspoons butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 cups chopped carrot
1 1/4 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Preheat oven to 400°.
Trim crust from bread. Cut bread into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 jellyroll pans. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until toasted. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Combine bread cubes, sausage, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, carrot, and celery; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add to bread mixture. Combine eggs and broth, stirring with a whisk. Add to bread mixture; toss to coat. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until browned.
Cornbread Stuffing with Brussels Sprouts and Squash
3 pounds winter squash, such as buttercup or butternut
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
1 cup currants, raisins or dried cranberries
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped and toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 fresh sage leaves, rubbed and sliced
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
Position racks in upper and lower third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Halve squash, remove seeds and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges (leave the skin on). Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, rubbing to coat the squash evenly. Roast on the lower rack until soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool. Peel, cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Meanwhile, spread cornbread cubes on a large baking sheet. Toast on the upper rack until crisp around the edges, about 20 minutes. Add to the bowl with the squash. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts and cook until barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and add to the bowl. Add currants (or raisins or cranberries), pecans, chives, parsley and sage. Add broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Spoon into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake the stuffing until heated through, 45 to 55 minutes
Wild Rice, Fruit and Nut Stuffing
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cupschopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1/2 cup dried sweet cherries
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, wild rice, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth and sage; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in brown rice, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in cherries and remaining ingredients.