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
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 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.
2. 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.
3. Cut bread into 1/2 inch (1.3 centimetres) cubes, dried in oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes. Set bread aside in a large bowl (or spread on a baking sheet, uncovered at room temperature and leave overnight).
4. Add cooked rice, dried cranberries, and diced chestnuts in with the bread cubes. Toss to evenly combine.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
