Stuffing with Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries

AuthorMarla Meridith
DifficultyBeginner

 

For this stuffing recipe, I added fresh tart cranberries and diced sweet apples. They compliment each other nicely. Served from a nice casserole dish it is the perfect side to any meal.

Healthy Thanksgiving holiday stuffing with sweet potatoes
Yields1 Serving
Prep Time10 minsCook Time25 minsTotal Time35 mins
 10 pieces [Sprouted Grain Bread, cubed & toasted
 1 large Sweet Potato (Garnet Yam) – enough to fill a half sheet pan, cleaned, skin left on, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
 Olive Oil spray
 splash of Olive Oil
 a few pinches of dried Thyme
 a few pinches of cracked Black Pepper
 a few pinches of Garlic Salt
 a few pinches of Smoked Paprika
 1 cup Celery, chopped
 1 cup Leeks (about 3 leeks-white & light green part) cleaned & chopped
 a few cloves Garlic, chopped
 1 tablespoon unsalted Butter
 1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped. Plus extra for garnish.
 1 cup fresh, frozen or dried cranberries (If you prefer them sweet then go with the dried. See Notes)
 1 large Apple diced (about 1 cup)
 2 large Eggs, whisked
 2 1/2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
Toasting the Bread
1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven.

2

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife.

3

Lay bread in a single layer on a sheet pan.

4

Spray bread cubes with some olive oil cooking spray.

5

Toast bread for about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned, tossing once to evenly cook.

6

Set aside to cool.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
7

While you are toasting your bread you can roast the sweet potatoes too.

8

Toss sweet potatoes with a splash of olive oil, some thyme, garlic salt, pepper & smoked paprika.

9

Place cut sweet potatoes in a single layer on aluminum sheet pan.

10

Roast potatoes for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned & softened.

11

Set aside to cool.

Stuffing
12

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter a 9 X 13 oven-safe casserole dish.

13

In a medium sauté pan over medium heat melt the butter.

14

Add leeks, celery, garlic and a pinch of each spice again. Heat about 5 minutes until softened, stirring frequently.

15

Add the cranberries, apples, and parsley. Cook a couple of minutes until cranberries start to pop.

16

Put toasted bread in a large bowl. Add cranberry-leek mixture, eggs & broth and mix well to combine.

17

Press a layer of stuffing into the casserole dish, add a layer of sweet potatoes. Top with another layer of stuffing and sweet potatoes.

18

bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top.

Notes
19

In this recipe I wanted the cranberries to be in their natural state. You can also use sweetened dried cranberries too. Since they take up less volume you might want to go with 1/2 cup. Soak them in hot water until plump before you add them to the stuffing mixture.

20

Add a handful of toasted chopped walnuts or pecans.

21

I use my 1/2 sheet aluminum cookie sheet pan for most of my toasting & roasting – in this case for the bread cubes & sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

 10 pieces [Sprouted Grain Bread, cubed & toasted
 1 large Sweet Potato (Garnet Yam) – enough to fill a half sheet pan, cleaned, skin left on, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
 Olive Oil spray
 splash of Olive Oil
 a few pinches of dried Thyme
 a few pinches of cracked Black Pepper
 a few pinches of Garlic Salt
 a few pinches of Smoked Paprika
 1 cup Celery, chopped
 1 cup Leeks (about 3 leeks-white & light green part) cleaned & chopped
 a few cloves Garlic, chopped
 1 tablespoon unsalted Butter
 1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped. Plus extra for garnish.
 1 cup fresh, frozen or dried cranberries (If you prefer them sweet then go with the dried. See Notes)
 1 large Apple diced (about 1 cup)
 2 large Eggs, whisked
 2 1/2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Directions

Toasting the Bread
1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven.

2

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife.

3

Lay bread in a single layer on a sheet pan.

4

Spray bread cubes with some olive oil cooking spray.

5

Toast bread for about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned, tossing once to evenly cook.

6

Set aside to cool.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
7

While you are toasting your bread you can roast the sweet potatoes too.

8

Toss sweet potatoes with a splash of olive oil, some thyme, garlic salt, pepper & smoked paprika.

9

Place cut sweet potatoes in a single layer on aluminum sheet pan.

10

Roast potatoes for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned & softened.

11

Set aside to cool.

Stuffing
12

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter a 9 X 13 oven-safe casserole dish.

13

In a medium sauté pan over medium heat melt the butter.

14

Add leeks, celery, garlic and a pinch of each spice again. Heat about 5 minutes until softened, stirring frequently.

15

Add the cranberries, apples, and parsley. Cook a couple of minutes until cranberries start to pop.

16

Put toasted bread in a large bowl. Add cranberry-leek mixture, eggs & broth and mix well to combine.

17

Press a layer of stuffing into the casserole dish, add a layer of sweet potatoes. Top with another layer of stuffing and sweet potatoes.

18

bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top.

Notes
19

In this recipe I wanted the cranberries to be in their natural state. You can also use sweetened dried cranberries too. Since they take up less volume you might want to go with 1/2 cup. Soak them in hot water until plump before you add them to the stuffing mixture.

20

Add a handful of toasted chopped walnuts or pecans.

21

I use my 1/2 sheet aluminum cookie sheet pan for most of my toasting & roasting – in this case for the bread cubes & sweet potatoes.

Notes

Stuffing with Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries

~ Marla Meridith

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