This stuffing will become a holiday tradition in your house. Crunchy roasted chestnuts, delicious sausage, tart apple, and sweet cranberries with loads of tasty vegetables gives this stuffing fantastic flavour and texture.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
- 71 g / 5 tbsp Mirage margarine, divided
- 200 g / 1 cup blend of brown and wild rice
- 540 ml / 2 1/4 cup water, cold
- 7 g / 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 350 g / 6 cups French bread, cubed (should be a day-old or dried out)
- 115 g / 1 cup dried cranberries
- 200 g / 1 1/4 cup peeled roasted chestnuts, diced
- 210 g / 1 1/2 cups onion, diced
- 5 ribs / 2 cups celery
- 227 g / 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1 Granny Smith apple, medium diced
- 227 ml / 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 3 g / 2 tbsp thyme
- 3 g / 2 tbsp sage
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 g / 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 6 breakfast sausage links, casings removed
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 480 ml / 2 cups chicken broth
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease a 9 inch x 13 inch (23 centimetre x 33 centimetre) baking dish or pan with 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of Mirage margarine. Grease a sheet of aluminum foil, large enough to cover baking dish.
- In a medium pot, rinse wild rice and drain. Add 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) of water and 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) of salt. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer with the lid on, about 20 minutes. Rice will be partially cooked. Let cool.
- Cut bread into 1/2 inch (1.3 centimetres) cubes, dried in oven at 350℉ (180℃) for about 20 minutes. Set bread aside in a large bowl (or spread on a baking sheet, uncovered at room temperature and leave overnight).
- Add cooked rice, dried cranberries, and diced chestnuts in with the bread cubes. Toss to evenly combine.
- In a large pan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons (42 grams) of Mirage margarine, add diced onions, celery, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, water chestnuts, and apple, stirring, until apples are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper, cook until herbs and garlic are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and toss with rice, bread, and dried cranberries.
- Add 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of Mirage margarine to the same pan, add breakfast sausages (broken into pieces). Cook until meat is browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to bread mixture.
- Deglaze pan with apple cider, scraping up any browned bits off pan. Cook until cider vinegar is thick and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, stir to combine. Drizzle broth over bread mixture. Toss to coat.
- Spread stuffing evenly in prepared baking dish. Bake, covered tightly with greased foil, in preheated oven until heated through, about 40 minutes. Take out of oven.
- Increase oven temperature to 450°F (230℃). Remove foil and bake until top is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Chef Notes
- Rice can be made the night before and placed into fridge until ready to use.
- Sourdough or cornbread, or any hearty loaf can be substituted for the french bread.