The holiday season is here and I’m on the lookout to find things that are new and fun to serve to my family and guests. These craggy Holiday Stuffing Muffins will be a great addition to our Thanksgiving feast – what a fun alternate way to enjoy stuffing/dressing!
The recipe is close to my original dressing recipe, just presented in a different way. I love the individual serving size and there is so much crispy goodness in every bite!
Large bowl of the muffin mix before forming and placing in the muffin tin
These actually should be called dressing muffins because they are cooked outside the bird, but I’m not sure everyone would know what they are without the word “stuffing”. What do you think?
I decided to add sausage and cranberries to this version and they both add a lot of flavor and interest – I love them. You can leave them out if you prefer.
Hot from the oven!
Today instead of regular sausage, I used chorizo which imparted a bonus flavor. It also has red pepper in it that tinted some of the bread slightly orange. If using regular sausage, yours will be paler.
If you want a vegetarian/vegan version, leave out the sausage and add some olive oil in place of the butter for sauteing the vegetables. Then use vegetable stock and egg replacer together to approximate the binding action of the eggs. It will taste different but still delicious.
I cut my bread into thick chunks, which I like the look of, but next time I think I will make them a bit smaller – they will be easier to form into a ball. If you can eat gluten, you can use premade croutons/stuffing mix for this recipe and skip the baking the bread step.
Instead of using plain ground black pepper, I used my favorite seasoned pepper from Penzey’s, their California Pepper. It has onion, garlic, and bell pepper seasoning in with the pepper and it makes food sing!
After packing the muffin tins overflowing with the bread stuffing, mounded high in each cup, I still had more leftover that wouldn’t fit. So I pulled out my 8×8-inch (20x20cm) baking pan and put the remainder in there. Covered it with foil and baked until cooked through and crispy. This was a great and delicious way to test the seasonings. And boy was it good!
The overnight rest in the refrigerator gives you time to get the rest of your holiday feast pulled together and the flavors meld into a transcendent treat.
As I always suggest, make this recipe once about a week in advance of your holiday meal so you are comfortable with the recipe and can make any changes you like after trying it. This greatly reduces your stress while making huge holiday dinners!
These muffins would be delicious covered with turkey gravy for thanksgiving or split and slathered with fresh cranberry sauce! You can even split and toast the leftovers in the oven for mini turkey sandwiches the next day!
Be sure to save this Holiday Stuffing Muffins recipe so you can easily find it for your classic turkey dinner. This is a fun and festive side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner that also works for other holiday meals. These muffins are sure to please your entire crew!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Holiday Stuffing Muffins:
- Bread or gluten-free bread, butter, dried cranberries, sausage, onion, celery, salt, sage, thyme, black pepper, dry mustard, parsley, eggs, chicken stock (the cranberries and sausage are optional)
PRO Tip:
If all the bread doesn’t fit in the muffin tins, you can put the extra in an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) baking dish, cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C), then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes until browned and crispy. It is a great way to test for seasoning while the muffins are chilling in the refrigerator overnight.
How to make Holiday Stuffing Muffins:
- Butter a muffin tin and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Divide the bread cubes between two baking sheets and bake at 250°F (121°C) for 60 minutes, swapping the pans halfway through. When done transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Place the cranberries in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for at least 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet, breaking up clumps. When browned and the fat has rendered, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate and set aside. Melt the butter in the same skillet and add in the onions, celery, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and dry mustard. Cook until onions are translucent and softened. Stir in the parsley and pour into the bowl with the bread cubes. Add the cooked sausage and drained cranberries, mixing well. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Combine the beaten eggs and chicken stock in a large measuring cup, whisking to combine. Pour half the mixture over the bread and toss until everything is moistened. Wait until the liquid is absorbed before pouring the remaining stock/eggs over the top. Keep tossing to combine and help all the pieces absorb the liquid.
- Remove the buttered muffin tin from the fridge and using a large scoop or spoon, scoop portions into the muffin cups, mounding them high in each one. Compress as much as possible. Cover the pan tightly with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with vegetable spray, sprayed side down. Refrigerate overnight or up to two days in advance.
- When ready to bake, set the muffins directly from the refrigerator with the foil still in place and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking another 30 minutes, until the muffins are deeply browned and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the pan about 15 minutes on a wire rack, To release them run an offset spatula around each one until they release from the pan. Serve and enjoy!
PRO Tip:
If you have leftover muffins, you can split them in half, toast in the oven, then top with a fried egg for breakfast. Or, split the muffin, toast, and slather with fresh cranberry sauce and enjoy every bite.
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Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. Also, use grams because they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Holiday Stuffing Muffins (GF)
These delightful craggy Holiday Stuffing Muffins are a make-ahead time saver for your holiday meals. You can make them a day or two ahead and refrigerate overnight before popping them in the oven and baking. You can bake them early in the day and reheat when everything comes out of the oven and is resting! Serve as a side for your Thanksgiving or holiday feasts.
Ingredients
- 20 oz (567g) fresh bread, like ciabatta, French bread, or sourdough (such as Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free Sourdough-Style Bread), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 stick (8 tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- 1 cup (114g) dried sweetened cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water, optional
- 8 oz (1/2 lb; 227g) bulk sausage such as mild Italian, breakfast, or chorizo, optional
- 1 medium-large onion, chopped
- 5 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal brand**
- 1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper or Penzey’s California Pepper***
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard (such as Coleman's brand)
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, tough stems removed, chopped
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2-1/2 cups (592 ml) chicken stock
Instructions
1.Butter a muffin tin with about 1 tbsp of the softened butter. Place the tin in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Chilling the butter helps create a crispy crust and helps the muffins remove easily from the pan.
2.Preheat the oven to 250℉ (121°C) and set racks in the upper third and lower third. Divide the bread pieces between two baking sheet pans and bake for 30 minutes, then switch the pans top to bottom. Continue baking another 30 minutes. The bread will not be browned but will be crisp and dried. You will smell the lovely aroma of baking bread when it is ready. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3.While the bread is toasting, place the dried cranberries in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for about 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. You will add these later.
4.Cook the sausage in a 12-inch (31 cm) skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up any chunks that form and cook until the fat has rendered out and the sausage is browned, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain the meat and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.
5.Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet then add the onions, celery, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and dry mustard and cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the onions are translucent and softened. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and pour the mixture into the bowl with the bread. Add in the cooked sausage and cranberries and mix well. Cool for 5 minutes.
6.Combine the beaten eggs and chicken stock in a large measuring cup or bowl, whisking until blended. Add half to the bread, tossing and allowing it to be absorbed before adding the second half. Be sure to toss the bread so that every piece is moistened.
7.Remove the muffin tin from the fridge and using a large ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop about 5-1/2 oz (156g) into the palm of your hand. Gently compress into a ball and place in a buttered muffin cup. Mound them high in the cups. Repeat with the remaining dressing until you've filled all the cups. Any leftover pieces can be evenly distributed between the cups and pressed gently into mounds. I made 12 muffins and wound up with quite a bit leftover so I baked it off in an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) pan…a great way to test the recipe and seasoning!
8.Tear a piece of aluminum foil to cover the pan and spray the dull side with non-stick spray. Cover the muffins tightly with the foil (oiled side down), and refrigerate overnight or up to two days in advance.
9.When ready to bake, set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350℉ (180°C). Remove the muffin tin from the fridge and place directly onto the middle rack of the oven, still covered with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Then, carefully remove the foil and bake 30 more minutes, or until the dressing is deeply browned and crisp.
10.Remove and cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack. To release, try to spin each muffin in the cups, if they are stuck loosen the edges with a small offset spatula or butter knife until the muffins release from the pan.
11.Serve and enjoy!
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is Diamond Crystal brand. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much.
*** California Pepper from Penzey’s can be purchased online or at their retail stores. It contains tellicherry black pepper, sweet red and green bell peppers, granulated garlic, and onion. It adds lovely flavor to all your savory dishes.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Original recipe from Alton Brown
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 447mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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