Can you believe Thanksgving is around the corner?! Already.
(No Thanksgiving meal is complete without CRANBERRIES!)
The good news is that there are quite a few recipes that keep cooking to a minimum, while keeping flavor to the fullest – like this turkey stuffing I just tried out. Yep, sometimes it’s good to get ahead start trying out recipes for your holiday meal. And today, I received my Cranberry package so it was very easy to start.
Here is the Yummy Cranberry & Turkey Stuffing Casserole I was able to prepare with the kit I received from the Cranberry Institute. As a Cranberry Blogger, I receive ideas, tidbits and recipes courtesy of The Cranberry Institute and it’s sister organization, the Cranberry Marketing Committee. Last month I prepared a delightful Cranberry Chicken Salad.
Before I share this delicious Cran-stuffing recipe, here are some fun-facts about the Cranberry and it’s benefits:
Tips: Four Tasty Tidbits about the Tiny, Tart Cranberry
· All forms of cranberries contain proanthocyanidins or PACs, so whether you like them dried, fresh, frozen, in juice or in sauce, just eat them!
· PACs are flavonoids that are unique to cranberries because they have a different structure than PACs found in other fruits. PACs prevent bacteria, such as E. coli, from sticking to the cell walls.
· Research has shown the cranberry may improve blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and the incidence of certain infections.
· Cranberries are one of three commonly cultivated fruits native to North America. U.S.-grown cranberries are grown predominantly in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Rhode Island.
Now for the recipe.
Okay, I have to admit, I didn’t have celery so I used parsley flakes and extra onions. And well, I’m not actually going to buy turkey until the actual holiday so I used Chicken thigh, boiled. And the juice I used to make my own easy homemade gravy using olive oil, oat flour, sea salt, parsley flakes and poultry seasoning. So now that you know my adjustments, here’s the recipe courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee. And BTW: I halved it so it fit perfectly in my Ukonserve Glass Rectangle with Silicon Sleeve – a great kitchen tool because it’s goes from the oven to the table as it is an attractive serving dish as well.
Cranberry & Turkey Stuffing Casserole
Yield: 6 – 1 cup servings
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
¾ cup minced yellow onion
¾ cup minced celery
½ tsp. poultry seasoning
⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ cup low-fat, reduced sodium chicken broth
3 cups whole grain bread (approx. 6 ounces), cut into 1-in. pieces
12 oz. cooked, diced turkey
1 cup prepared turkey gravy
1 ½ cups cranberry sauce
Directions
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onions and celery and cook 2 minutes. Mix in poultry seasoning and pepper and continue to cook 30 seconds. Pour in hot broth and heat through.
2. Stir in bread pieces and mix to combine. Cook until stuffing mixture is moist and heated through. Remove from heat and hold.
3. Combine turkey and gravy and spread evenly in the bottom of a 2-qt casserole dish. Next, spoon half of the cranberry sauce (¾ cup) on top of the turkey-gravy layer. Gently spread the reserved stuffing mixture evenly on top of cranberry sauce.
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and firm. Top will be slightly crunchy.
5. Scoop a 1-cup portion of casserole onto a plate and serve with an additional 2 Tbsp. of cranberry sauce on the side.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 320, Calories from Fat 45, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 5g, Cholesterol 45mg, Sodium 460mg, Total Carbohydrate 43g, Sugars 26g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 22g, Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 4%, Calcium 8%, Iron 8%
Recipe courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee, uscranberries.com
Filed under: diet, healthy lifestyles, Nutri-Savvy, nutrition, Recipes, Simple Meals