Good ‘n healthy Gluten-free Cornbread Stuffing

Is it dressing, stuffing, or as known to many in Lancaster County, PA--filling? Regardless of where you live or what you call it, this side dish is as traditional as turkey to serve at the holiday meal — and we made it gluten-free to be enjoyed by all.

While there are many variations of stuffing, and most likely every family claims theirs is the best, we chose to share an herb-based gluten-free “stuffing.”

The key to great flavor is to use lots of onion, celery and seasonings. It’s always better to add more rather than less if you are not sure. If time permits, refrigerating the stuffing for several hours before baking will allow the seasonings to blend and enhance the flavor.

In Lancaster County a number of recipes call for adding several cups of mashed potatoes to the stuffing, or "potato filling," which gives it a creamier texture. Potatoes are naturally gluten-free, so go ahead and add them if that is your tradition.

Many Lancaster County cooks also use the spice saffron, rather than sage or poultry seasonings. To use this version, steep ½ teaspoon of saffron threads in a little hot water until it turns a golden color then mix into the other ingredients.

To cut down on the amount of calories, carbohydrates and salt, we used "no salt added" or "low sodium" chicken broth that was gluten free.

We suggest you make our gluten-free cornbread for this recipe, however, store-bought gluten-free bread can use used.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 batch of gluten-free cornbread (about 6 cups) cut into cubes, or 1 loaf gluten-free bread, cut into cubes

• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 cups chicken broth, no salt added or low sodium
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup or more of onion, chopped
• 1 cup or more of celery, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons sage or poultry seasoning (or more to taste)
• ½ cup fresh sage, chopped (optional)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place cornbread in large bowl.
3. Mix together eggs, chicken broth, salt and pepper and pour over bread cubes.
4. Heat large skillet to medium and add olive oil, butter, onion and celery.
5. Sauté until onions and celery are soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Add onion-celery mixture to bread along with remaining ingredients.
7. Mix well and pour into a 2 to 3 quart casserole dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
8. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until top is browned and crunchy. You may need to bake longer (about 15 minutes more) if stuffing has been refrigerated.
9. To serve, garnish stuffing with fresh sage leaves sautéed in a little olive oil, if desired.

Note: Now who can eat stuffing without a little drizzle of gravy? Find suggestions on how to make gluten-free gravy here.

Makes 12, 1-cup servings.

Nutritional Information
Per 1-cup serving: 198 calories; 8.1g total fat (2.0g saturated fat, 2.2g polyunsaturated fat, 3.3g monounsaturated fat); 595mg sodium; 70.0mg cholesterol; 25.5g carbohydrate; 0.6g fiber; 0.1g sugars; 5.8g protein; 164mg potassium.