Cranberry Dried Fruit Stuffing Recipes

CRANBERRY-DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Toss with bread cubes in a large bowl. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven, tossing once, until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Pour 1 cup boiling water over dried fruit in a bowl; stir to submerge. Set aside until fruit has softened, about 30 minutes. Drain; reserve soaking liquid.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, ginger, and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 15 minutes.
• Add onion mixture to bread cubes. Return skillet to medium heat. Add Marsala, and cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until liquid bubbles. Pour over bread mixture. Stir in dried fruit, 1/2 cup soaking liquid, walnuts if using, quinces, and cranberries. Stir in spices and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Stir in eggs.
• To cook stuffing in turkey: Stuff as directed (see Roast Turkey with Quince Glaze recipe). Spoon remaining stuffing into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish; dot generously with butter. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degrees oven until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. To bake all of the stuffing in the oven: Spoon it into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish; dot generously with butter. Bake as directed above.

CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook celery and onion in butter, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in about one-third of the bread cubes. Place in large bowl. Add remaining bread cubes and ingredients; toss.
• Stuff turkey just before roasting.

HERB STUFFING WITH DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dried fruit, sage, thyme, apple, onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl.
• Add the toasted bread to the onion mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Stir in the egg. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and evenly spread without packing the stuffing down too much. Bake until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. Continue to bake until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Garnish with parsley and thyme.

SAUSAGE, DRIED CRANBERRY AND APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Saute the sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and drippings to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to the skillet and saute until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in the drained cranberries, sage and rosemary. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the croutons and parsley. Next add the chicken stock a little at a time until the stuffing is very moist. Be sure not to overdo it; it shouldn't be mushy. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a casserole dish. (The stuffing can be made to this point 2 days before Thanksgiving, refrigerated.)
• Bake in a 14-inch oval or 9 by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish and place, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is crispy and the center piping hot. Remove and serve immediately.

CRANBERRY-STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out diced bread on a rimmed baking sheet; toastin oven, turning occasionally, until light brown and dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
• Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add leek, mushrooms, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in bread, chopped sage, parsley, mustard, thyme, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup broth.
• Spoon stuffing into bird cavities; tie legs together with kitchen twine. Rub birds with butter, then sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Arrange birds on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs (avoiding bone) registers 170 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer rack with birds to a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest.
• Set roasting pan on top of stove across two burners; set heat to medium-high. Add port and remaining 1/4 cup broth; deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup dried cranberries; cook, stirring, until sauce reduces slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place birds on a serving platter, and drizzle sauce over them. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired, and serve.

DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place bread cubes in very large bowl. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery to skillet; sauté until vegetables are tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Add Sherry, figs, cherries, apricots, sage, thyme and rosemary; cook until fruit is tender and liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 7 minutes. Add to bread cubes; stir to blend. (Stuffing can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Add stock to stuffing; season with salt and pepper. Mix in beaten eggs.
• Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top begins to crisp, about 25 minutes longer.

DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions, adding dried fruits when adding contents of stuffing mix. Just before serving, stir in almonds.

CREAMY CRANBERRY-STUFFED CELERY

Steps:

• Mix reduced-fat cream cheese and cranberries.
• Press into hollow centers of celery.
• Cut each stalk crosswise into 4 pieces.

DRIED CRANBERRY, APRICOT, AND FIG STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add apples and all herbs. Sauté until apples just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to medium bowl, cover, and chill.
• Mix 1 cup broth and dried fruit in bowl. Let soak at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard, reversing sheets after 5 minutes, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.
• Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Stir vegetable mixture into bread. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend; whisk in broth and dried fruit mixture. Add egg mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
• Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

DRIED CRANBERRY, APPLE & FIG STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add apples and all herbs, saute until apples just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. (This can be made 1 day ahead). Put in medium bowl, cover and chill.
• Mix 1 cup broth and dried fruit in a bowl. Let soak at least 1 hour (up to 3 hours).
• Preheat oven to 350. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until bread is crusty but not hard,(switching placement of the sheets after 5 minutes) - bake 10 to 12 minutes total. Put in very large bowl and cool.
• Butter 13x9 baking dish. Stir vegetable mixture into bread.
• Whisk eggs, salt and pepper in small bowl to blend, then whisk in broth with dried fruit. Add egg mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
• Bake uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.