Apple Walnut Wheat Stuffing

HO BOY! Less than 24 hours until Thanksgiving, and I know some of you have been busy for days already, cleaning the house, buying food and making preparations. If you haven’t yet decided which kind of stuffing to make, OR you’re still plotting out your meal, here’s a new recipe you might want to try. Quick and easy to prepare – using commercial no-salt-added bread – with a little more interest than standard savory dressing. The nutty tang of the walnuts and wheat, and subtle sweetness of the apples, partners beautifully with roast turkey. Add a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce and you’ve a meal fit for royalty. NOTE: Although I’ve made this stuffing with wheat bread, it will work equally well with any salt-free loaf. So if you can only find (or make) white or even sprouted bread – don’t be discouraged. Also, tart apples such as granny smith tend to retain their shape better with cooking, but I’ve made this successfully with sweet apples too. Don’t sweat it. Just USE WHAT YOU’VE GOT. Recipe adapted from Gourmet Cooking Without Salt by Eleanor P. Brenner.

Yields enough for a 12-pound turkey, or approximately 2 quarts of stuffing.

SODIUM CONTENT: 62 mg per recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 T. unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 c. chopped onions (1 med/lg)
3 c. tart green apples, pared, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3)
4 c. cubed salt-free bread (about 8 slices, cut into 1/2-inch cubes) – I use Trader Joe’s Sodium-Free Whole Wheat Bread
1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth (I like Pacific Natural Foods organic free range low sodium chicken broth)
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground white pepper
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine.

Either use this mixture to stuff your turkey, or if you are baking it separately as a dressing, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a shallow (lidded) oven-safe casserole dish. Spread mixture into casserole, cover, and place on middle rack in oven. Bake 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, until piping hot. Remove from oven and serve immediately.