Here’s a Great Recipe, submitted by Jill Gregory, our Certified Nutritionist. This stuffing has a great balance of carbohydrates and fat. Add a protein such as turkey, pork or chicken breast for a complete meal.
Whole Wheat Cranberry Walnut Stuffing
- 10 Servings
- ~ 3/4 Cup
- Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 235
- Protein: < 1 grams
- Carbs: 36 grams
- Fat: 8 grams
- 12 slices of good whole grain or multigrain bread (we like Country Kitchen’s 12 Grain Bread), cut into cubes with a serrated knife
- Fat free cooking spray, as needed
- Sea salt or kosher salt, as needed
- Fresh ground black pepper, as needed
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp. dried thyme
- 1 ½ Tbsp. dried sage leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped in half if desired
- 2 cups of low sodium chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with tinfoil. Spread whole wheat bread cubes in single layer onto baking sheets. Spray bread cubes lightly with cooking spray and season gently with salt and pepper. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until browned and crispy. Remove from oven while keeping oven on at 350 degrees (for later use). Once cool enough to handle, pour bread cubes into a large bowl.
2. In the meantime, heat a medium size frying pan over medium high heat. Add extra virgin olive oil. Once oil is hot, add onion, carrots, celery, thyme, sage and poultry seasoning and sauté for approximately 7 minutes or until tender. If the pan starts smoking, reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and walnuts and sauté for another 2 minutes. Season gently with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Add chicken stock to vegetables and stir until well combined. Pour vegetables and chicken stock into bowl of bread cubes. Add cranberries and toss gently to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour stuffing mixture into casserole dish. Bake approximately 15 minutes in 350 degree oven or until stuffing is lightly browned on top. Enjoy!
You can easily double this recipe for holiday size portions if necessary by making a few adjustments. In addition to doubling the individual ingredients you may need to use extra sheet pans to bake the croutons in a single layer. You may also need to adjust the amount of chicken stock by adding an extra ¼ cup if the stuffing seems too dry.