Thanksgiving Stuffing

Prep Time: 20 mins  | Cook Time:  2-4 hours  | Course: Dinner | Servings: 10

I love Thanksgiving stuffing!!! This recipe combines the traditional savory veggies and herbs with tart granny apples and craisins or currant berries. Butter and cream round out the flavors. I love that at this busy time of year, you can find little shortcuts like a precut onion celery mix with fresh herbs. I also love making this in the slow cooker so that the turkey can “hog the oven”. I’ve been making this recipe for years and sometimes use sourdough bread, but more recently using the softest white bread available in the store “Susan Branch calls it Bunny Fluff”.

1 loaf sliced bread, tender white or sourdough

20 oz onion celery mix (or approximately 1 cup each, onion and celery)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup craisins or currants

1 granny smith apple, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp salt

Pepper, to taste

⅛ tsp sage

1 tsp onion powder

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup cream

One to two days ahead, dice the loaf of bread and let it air dry, they will be hard like croutons. If you don’t have enough time to air dry them, you can crisp them up quicker in a low temp oven (this may still take a couple of hours).

Spray oil a slow cooker crock (or a 3 quart dutch oven or baking dish). Mix in your biggest mixing bowl, the dried bread cubes with the onion and celery mix, mushrooms, apple, garlic, salt, pepper, sage and onion powder. Pour over the butter and cream and stir. Spoon into the prepared slow cooker crock or baking dish. 

Let slow cook for 2-4 hours on the low heat setting.

If using the oven, bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes.