Recipe by Jennifer MacKenzie, P.H.Ec.
Fragrant with a blend of herbs and the sweet and tangy taste of Orchard-fresh apples, this stuffing is the ideal all-Ontario accompaniment to your turkey dinner. Choose an apple variety that holds the flavour when cooked, some great choices are Cortland, Honey crisp, McIntosh, Ida Red, Northern Spy and Empire. You can use it to stuff a whole turkey or bake it in a dish alongside (or both).
Apple Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 apples, diced
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) dried
- 1/4 tsp celery seeds
- 1/4 tsp dried savoury (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup turkey or chicken stock (approx.)
- 7 cups cubed day-old bread
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add celery, onions and garlic and sauté for 5minutes or until starting to soften. Add apples, sage, rosemary, celery seeds, savoury (if using)and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each of salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions start to turn golden and apples just start to get tender. Pour in about 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the stock and scrape up brown bits.
- Transfer vegetables to a large bowl and mix with bread. Add enough of the stock to moisten stuffing (when you squeeze it, a handful should just hold together). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool completely.
- Pack into a buttered 8- to 10-cup (2 to 2.5 L) baking dish. You can cover and refrigerate stuffing for up to 1 day.
- Cover baking dish with buttered foil. Bake in 325° to 375°F (160° to 190°C) oven, alongside turkey, for 45 minutes or until hot in the centre. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes longer or until top and sides are golden and crisp.Copyright Jennifer MacKenzie and Jay Nutt 2020