Last year was my inaugural attempt at hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that it was pretty dang successful.
One of the reasons for that was this stuffing. Or maybe it should be called “dressing” because it didn’t actually get stuffed into anything. I’m not sure what the correct terminology is. All I know is that it was pretty dang yummy.
Traditional stuffing usually lands like a warm, carby brick in the gut. While being one of my favorite things about the holiday, it’s also very heavy. The enormously satisfying thing about this stuffing is that it, ironically, did not give me that “stuffed” feeling. The lemon paired with the tart sourdough gave it a brightness that escapes most stuffing recipes. My entire Thanksgiving menu was inspired by citrus for that very reason! Citrus is seasonal, complements the other traditional flavors, helps aid digestion, and is light on the palate. And that, fellow eaters, is something definitely worthy of giving thanks.
If you get a chance to make it, let me know!
Here are some other recipes from that meal:
White Balsamic Cranberry Sauce
Bacon Fried Brussels Sprouts with Tahini Orange Sauce
Chocolate Pudding Tart (with sliced fuyu persimmon and crushed macadamia nuts)
Sourdough Herb Stuffing
1 loaf Cooks Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread, dried and torn into small pieces*
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. turkey stock
2 Tbsp. butter
1 sweet onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/4 c. diced fennel
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, zested
1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. minced fresh sage
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 Thsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place bread pieces in a 9 x 13 buttered casserole dish.
- In a skillet, melt butter and sauté onion, celery, fennel, garlic, and herbs until soft.
- In a bowl, whisk stock and eggs with salt, pepper.
- Add veggie mix and lemon zest to bread and mix well. Make sure the bread is spread evenly before next step.
- Pour egg mix over the top.
- Bake for 30-40 mins until center is set (doesn’t jiggle) and bread pieces on top are golden/toasted.
The Clean Plate 