Apple, Onion & Cranberry Stuffing

Apples and fresh cranberries add a unique twist to this variation on the classic stuffing. Use fresh sage or rubbed sage in this recipe; the ground version is too bitter.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed whole-wheat bread, (6 slices)
• 4 cups cubed white sandwich bread, (6 slices)
• Giblets from 1 turkey, (see Tip), liver discarded
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, rubbed
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries, (see Tip)
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread whole-wheat and white bread on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place giblets and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Finely chop the giblets and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add apples, cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the giblet-cooking liquid, sage and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the apples are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the toasted bread, giblets and cranberries. Drizzle broth over the bread mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Transfer stuffing to a lightly oiled casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake until heated through, 35 to 45 minutes. If you would like a crisp top, uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: If you don't have turkey giblets, omit Step 2 and substitute 3/4 cup chicken broth for the giblet-cooking liquid in Step 3; omit adding chopped giblets.
• To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.

Nutrition

Per serving: 241 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 31 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 408 mg sodium; 170 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value), Folate (19% dv)
2.5 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fruit