Thanksgiving Stuffing - Our Three Favorite Recipes

If your Thanksgiving get-together is a mix of omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, there’s one thing everyone can agree on - everyone loves stuffing. With a simple veggie base, here are our three favorite stuffing dishes. Make one or make all three.

Veggie Base - each recipe includes this:

• 1 cup (about 1 medium) yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup (about 3 ribs) celery, diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground

‍1) Wild Rice Stuffing

• 2 cups wild rice, cooked
• 2 cups sautéed onion, celery & herb mix
• 2 cups vegetable broth
  

2) Cornbread Stuffing

• 1 batch cornbread, diced (about 3 cups). Use your own cornbread recipe, or our favorite one, below
• 2 cups sautéed onion, celery & herb mix
• 2-3 cups vegetable broth - depending on how moist you like your stuffing‍

Cornbread (yields 8 servings), recipe by Naiha Falkner

• 1 1/2 cups coarse/medium ground gluten-free cornmeal
• 1/2 cup cassava flour
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon maple
• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
  

Preheat oven to 375F and lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan and set aside. (Feel free to use a cast iron skillet if you prefer. ) A loaf pan can also be used with a longer bake time. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine non-dairy milk, maple, and sunflower oil. Whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cornbread cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving with melted non-dairy butter.
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3) Gluten Free Bread Stuffing

• 2 cups dry stuffing bread (we use Young Kobras)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup cooked “sausage” (Longève pea protein crumbles - see recipe below)
• 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms, sautéed (8 oz package)
• 1 cup sautéed onion, celery & herb mix
  

Pea Protein Crumble “Sausage” - yields about 1 cup

• 1/3 cup pea protein crumbles (we use Longève!)
• 3/4 cup water, nearly boiling
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground sage
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  Place all the spices in a heat-proof bowl - set aside. Heat the water until nearly boiling, then pour over the spices & stir well. Immediately add in the pea protein crumbles and mix until the crumbles are hydrated and fully mixed very well with the spices. Mix into your stuffing right away, or you can make ahead and keep in a sealed container in the refrigerated for up to 3 days before using.
  

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F

Start with the veggie base - Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the onion & celery and cook for 3-5 minutes until the veggies just begin to soften and become translucent. Add in the thyme, sage, salt & pepper and continue to cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes or until the mixture is very fragrant and the onions & celery are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine veggie base with one of the stuffing recipes - In a large mixing bowl, combine your base of choice (cornbread, wild rice, or bread chunks) with the cooked onion & celery mixture. Gently mix together to incorporate all the ingredients, then add in your vegetable broth. Mix gently until well distributed and most of the broth has been soaked up (you may need to let your mixture sit for 15 minutes to allow all the bread to absorb the liquid).

Transfer to your favorite casserole dish, and bake for about 20 minutes until warm and nicely toasted on top.

If making ahead, assemble the stuffing and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to let the stuffing dish sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.

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