Cranberry Walnut Stuffing is an easy dish with tart flavor from cranberries, a nice crunch from the nuts, and savory herbs. Try it today!
If you’re looking for the ultimate Side Dish Recipe for Thanksgiving, look no further. It takes the savory, delicious flavors from my Easy Cube Stuffing and adds sweet, tart berries and buttery, crunchy walnuts. For another savory and sweet twist on classic stuffing, take a look at my Apple Sausage Stuffing too!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Cranberry Walnut Stuffing Recipe
Cranberry Walnut Stuffing will become one of your go-to recipes for Thanksgiving. A traditional combination of stuffing gets an extra punch of freshness from the cranberries and walnuts, which really set this dish apart from just plain stuffing from the boxed kind. The bright red color from the cranberries also makes it a beautiful addition to any holiday table. It’s like cranberry sauce and stuffing all in one bite, so it’s the perfect pairing for your turkey dinner!
Ingredients
- Cube Stuffing: Choose a loaf that is a bit stale or has been out for a day or two. This helps it absorb the flavors better and hold its shape. You can use any type of bread, like sourdough, French bread, or whole wheat. If buying store-bought cubed stuffing, choose unseasoned.
- Cranberries: The sweet and tart flavors of fresh cranberries complement savory ingredients like onions and herbs. They soften as they bake and their juices add bit of extra moisture.
- Walnuts: Walnuts bring a warm, nutty flavor that pairs well with the sweetness of cranberries and the savory flavors of the stuffing. Plus they add a nice crunchy texture to this tender cube stuffing.
- Celery and Onion: These flavorful aromatics will be sauteed until they’re soft and translucent.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter helps lock in the moisture and adds a richness to the stuffing. I use unsalted butter and add just a little salt because broth is typically pretty salty.
- Chicken Broth: 3 cups of broth is enough to make it soft without making it soggy. Remember, you’ll get more moisture as the berries bake and release their juices.
- Eggs: A couple of eggs bind the stuffing together and add a delicious layer of richness. They also help give the bread structure so your stuffing isn’t mushy.
- Herbs: Sage, rosemary, and thyme are classic herbs that go perfectly with all the other dishes in your holiday spread. A bit of salt and pepper help bring all the flavors in this stuffing together.
How to Make
Time needed: 45 minutes
- Prep
To prep the recipe, preheat your oven and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Chop the walnuts, celery, and onions so they’re ready to mix.
- Saute
Add 4 tablespoons butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Tilt the pan so the butter spreads across it as it melts. Add the chopped celery and onions to the pan. Sauté the veggies on all sides until translucent. Add the herbs and seasoning, and use a wooden spoon to mic and coat the onions and celery.
- Stuffing Mixture
Add the cubed stuffing, cranberries, walnuts, and veggie mixture to a large bowl. Toss the ingredients together so they’re mixed well.
- Liquid Ingredients
Melt the remaining butter in the microwave or stovetop. Whisk the butter with chicken broth and eggs. Then, pour the liquid over the stuffing mixture and toss it all together until nicely coated.
- Cooking Time
Pour the stuffing into the prepared baking dish and spread it out. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top of the bread is evenly coated and golden brown.
- Note
If the edges start browning too fast, you can add a 2 inch border around the pan. You still want the center open so it cooks through. Remove the foil in the last few minutes so it crisps up and finishes browning.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , divided
- 4 stalks celery , finely chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion , finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 21 ounces cube stuffing
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup walnuts , chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
- Add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter to a large skillet on medium heat.
- Add in the celery and onions, cook for 6-8 minutes until translucent.
- Add in the salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper and stir.
- To a large bowl add the cube stuffing, cranberries, walnuts, vegetable mixture, and toss.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
- In a second bowl whisk together chicken broth, eggs, and add in melted butter.
- Pour the mixture over the bowl and toss gently to moisten the bread cubes.
- Pour the mixture into your baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note: Why this Recipe Works!
Traditional recipes are great, but sometimes I want to experiment with them a little. Adding cranberries and walnuts to this classic stuffing is a great way to do that! I love the way the sweet, juicy berries combine with the normally rich, savory flavor and cut through some of the richness of stuffing. If you like scooping up some of cranberry sauce with your bite of turkey and stuffing, this is definitely the recipe for you!
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare the stuffing a day ahead. Mix all the ingredients together and store the mixture in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, just preheat the oven and bake as instructed. If you’re using frozen stuffing, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Nutritional Facts
Baking Tips & Tricks
- Use a flavorful broth (chicken, vegetable, or beef) to moisten the stuffing. You can also add a splash of white wine for extra depth of flavor.
- If you need to reheat leftover stuffing, cover it with foil and heat it at 350 degrees until warmed through. Add a little extra broth if needed to keep it moist.
- If you like your stuffing on the drier side, use less broth. For moister stuffing, add more broth. The consistency should be similar to a well-moistened cake batter.
How to Store
- Store: To prevent the Homemade Stuffing Recipe from going stale, don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Cover the dish tightly or put it in an airtight container. The Cranberry Walnut Stuffing should be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat on in the microwave or back in the oven covered at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
- Freeze: You could make stuffing in advance and store it in the freezer in an air tight container for up to 3 months.
Frequent Questions
Yes, you can use a variety of breads for stuffing, such as sourdough, French bread, whole wheat, or even gluten-free bread. The key is to use bread that is a bit stale or toasted to help it hold up better and absorb the flavors.
Yes, you can make stuffing without eggs. If you’re looking for a binder, you can simply add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to help hold the stuffing together. Some recipes also use mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes as a binder.
Yes, you can use stuffing to stuff a turkey. Just make sure the stuffing is prepared and cooked to a safe temperature. When checked with a food thermometer, stuffing should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Be aware that cooking the stuffing inside the turkey will increase the overall cooking time of the bird.
Variations
- Bread cubes: You can make the cube stuffing yourself using different kinds of bread. Try using wheat bread, Italian bread, French bread, sourdough, or regular white dough in the bread mixture.
- Seasonings: You could switch up the recipe by using fresh herbs in place of the dried herbs. Fresh thyme, sage, or rosemary would taste great. To experiment with the flavor, add different kinds of seasonings, like fresh parsley, poultry seasoning, oregano, or onion powder.
- Nuts: In the homemade stuffing recipe, you can substitute walnuts for almonds, cashews, or pecans.
- Sausage: To make easy sausage stuffing, start by browning a cup of chopped Italian sausage in the skillet before mixing it with the stuffing. This will make the recipe nice and filling, and the flavors go great with the stuffing.
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