Flavor like you've never imagined.
Nothing complements a delicious tender turkey or sweet honey-baked ham more than a comforting side of savory stuffing. This warm and satisfying dish is a national favorite, but many recipes can cause the calorie-count to rack up fast. With this in mind, we created a healthy cast-iron stuffing that is full of incredible textures, mouthwatering flavors, and loads of nutrients!
Is there a Difference Between Stuffing and Dressing?
Technically, stuffing is called stuffing because it’s supposed to be cooked inside of the turkey. The dish many people refer to as dressing is typically cooked in a pan separate from the turkey. Dressing came from the phrase “dressing the turkey,” but not too many people refer to it as that anymore. For this reason, we’ve chosen to call this dish stuffing, even though it’s not cooked inside of the turkey!
Fresh Ingredients and Full of Flavor
Our healthy cast-iron stuffing recipe contains so many layers of warm and filling flavors. It tastes just like traditional stuffing, but it’s made with the highest-quality ingredients.
A number of different types of bread can be used to create stuffing, including white bread, whole-wheat bread, cornbread, sourdough, or rye bread. We chose to use Ezekial bread in this recipe because it’s way more nutrient-dense than regular bread. It’s even a source of complete protein! If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can choose a gluten-free bread instead.
The next flavor layer comes from the savory turkey sausage. We start by cooking it and removing it from the pan, but we leave all those yummy drippings behind! You’ll cook the onions, carrots, and celery in this oil and soak up all that delicious flavor! You can absolutely make this recipe without the sausage, making it plant-based by skipping it completely or choosing your favorite vegan sausage brand.
Finally, the garlic, thyme, and sage will are the final layer of flavor. They’re cooked briefly in the pan before you add the sausage and bread pieces back in. Pour the chicken broth (or vegetable stock if you’re going plant-based) over the mixture, cover the pan, and bake until it’s soft, crunchy, and beautifully browned.
Need a Main Course Idea?
This stuffing is great on its own, but let’s be honest: Pairing stuffing with a delicious turkey makes it even better! Luckily for you, we have quite a few moist, tender, and flavorful holiday turkey recipes. Check them out!
- Foolproof Maple Garlic Turkey Breast
- Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Orange Glazed Herb Turkey
- Slow Cooker Herb Crusted Turkey Breast
Cast-Iron Stuffing Recipe with Ezekiel Bread
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread (about 13 slices)
- 4 ounces turkey sausage
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion large, chopped
- 3 carrots large, peeled and chopped
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. Place them on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, cook turkey sausage in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove it and set aside.
- Add the coconut oil to the sausage drippings. When melted,cook the onion, carrot, and celery over medium-high heat until softened, about10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, fresh thyme, and sage to the pan. Cook for an additional minute, until fragrant.
- Return the sausage to the vegetable mixture, along with the toasted bread pieces. Toss to combine.
- Pour the chicken broth over the bread, shaking the pan to ensure the liquid fills in all the gaps. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the bread can absorb the liquid.
- Cover the cast-iron skillet and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned.
Nutrition Information
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What did you think about this healthy cast-iron stuffing recipe with Ezekial bread? Have you tried it yet? Are you going to? Be sure to let us know what you thought of it in the comment section!
Want More Holiday Side Dishes?
We have plenty more recipes where that came from! If you loved this stuffing, we think you’ll also want to give these tasty recipes a try:
- Instant Pot Spiced Orange Carrots
- Cauliflower Holiday Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Garlic and Thyme Mashed Potatoes
- Amazing Orange-Rosemary Maple Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Zucchini, Spinach, and Feta Casserole
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I doubled this recipe and it was a big hit! Will make again.
Thank you so much for letting us know. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the stuffing. One of my personal favorites!