Debbi’s “Famous” Thanksgiving Stuffing

Since the time I was able to see over the kitchen counter, I began helping my mom make homemade stuffing every  Thanksgiving.  People always raved about my mom’s stuffing. It was never soggy. It was never dry. It was perfect.

I have worked hard to create a healthy version of my mother’s “famous” stuffing. Although this recipe is not grain free or paleo, it is still a healthy stuffing recipe that (eaten in moderation) is wonderful and the most requested side dish at our Thanksgiving dinner table!   So here it is:

Mom’s (Healthy) Thanksgiving Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 Loaf bread (fresh sourdough, non gmo gluten free bread, or other organic bread of choice)
• 2 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 lb of organic pasture raised ground pork
• 1 large bunch of organic celery chopped
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 large or 5 small cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ground sage
• ½ tsp of dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp organic ground pepper
• 3 – 4 cups organic bone broth (preferably homemade), if not homemade, please check the ingredients. A good store bought option is Pacific Foods Organic Turkey Bone Broth (make sure it says bone broth)

Directions

• Cut your bread into large cubes about an inch in size. Dry the bread. You can do this by leaving it out over night or drizzling with avocado oil & toasting it in the oven on 300 F until lightly brown and completely dry.  Remove bread from the oven and set aside to cool.
• In a large skillet(stainless steel or cast iron), heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Then add the sausage and cook on medium heat until fully browned. Drain the fat and spoon the sausage into a large bowl.
• Sauté celery, onion and garlic in the skillet with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Sauté until onion is translucent. Turn heat to low and add herbs, salt, and pepper.
• Lightly toss celery and onion mixture with the sausage and bread.
• Slowly pour the chicken/turkey broth 1 cup at a time and toss very carefully (lightly) as the bread absorbs the broth. It will take about 3 – 4 cups of broth depending upon the thickness of your bread.  Make sure all the bread has absorbed the broth but do not add too much broth or else the bread and stuffing will get too soggy.
• Generously grease a large glass baking pan with ghee, avocado oil or coconut oil. Pour stuffing into the pan and bake in the over at 325 F for about 25 – 35 minutes until the stuffing is completely warm throughout and the top is golden brown.  Cover stuffing with aluminum foil about half way through the baking process. If the stuffing begins to dry during the baking process, drizzle with a little additional broth.