The holiday's are a time for family, a time for rememberance and a time for fun. As a chef, this time of year is one where I have no free time, a time of year where holiday parties and special events take up most of my time. I, as most people I know look to food for that connection to times that were slower, times that brought family together and the foods and flavors that put smiles on everyone's faces. My cranberry apple stuffing does just that, and every time the holiday's roll around I remember helping my great grandmother and grandmother in the kitchen...working on some silly little task that more than likely was designed to keep me out of trouble and everyone's hair.

With simple ingredients and a few fresh herbs, you can take plain old bread and make a stuffing that is simplistic in nature and tasty on the palette. Cranberries, apples, leeks, celery and thyme make this a perfect side dish for your holiday turkey or ham.

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Cranberry Apple Stuffing

Printable version of this Stuffing recipe (word doc)

Ingredients:

12 cups sourdough bread cubes

1/4 cup butter

4-6 leeks, diced

2 green apples - cored and chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

4 teaspoons fresh thyme

¼ cup parsley, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

1 1/3 cups chicken stock

1# sausage (pork/sage or chicken apple), diced (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes in a single layer over two baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes.

2.      Melt butter in a skillet; add leeks, apples & celery. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the fresh herbs and dried cranberries.

3.      Mix leek mixture and bread cubes with sausage in bowl. Spoon stuffing into turkey, packing loosely.

4.      Bake remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish, covered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake another 15 minutes to brown top.

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