Once upon a time, I was a personal chef, and during those few years, I cooked many, many meals for families I worked for- but my favorite was always when they would ask me to do something extra, to make something for a dinner party or a holiday. This was one recipe I created for a family who was gluten-free, but still wanted stuffing on their Thanksgiving menu. This slightly-sweet and savory, chewy and crunchy stuffing was a hit not just with my clients- but with my family, as well!
You can make your own cornbread (recipe below), use a mix or buy one (if you need gluten-free, make sure to check the package as many have flour in them). I like this stuffing slightly crunchy on top and fairly firm throughout, if you want it extra-moist, add that extra half cup broth I recommend.
This recipe is easily doubled (double the cornbread and put in a 9×13″ in pan instead of an 8×8″) if you need more. No matter if your thanksgiving is celebrated with four or fourteen, this year, I hope it’s a good one with lots of leftovers for Thanksgiving sandwiches!
Gluten-free Cornbread Stuffing with Cherries and Pecans Serves 6-8 as a side
Gluten-free Cornbread: 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp honey or cane sugar 1/2 cup melted butter (extra for greasing) 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar) 2 eggs
Stuffing: 1 8×8″ gluten-free cornbread (use recipe or use a mix) 4 tbsp butter 4 stalks celery 1 large onion 1/2 cup dried cherries 1/2 cup chopped pecans 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage 2 tsp fresh thyme 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp chili powder 2 eggs, whisked 1-1 1/2 cups broth
For cornbread:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease an 8×8″ pan with butter.
Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
Whisk together slightly cooled melted butter, buttermilk and eggs.
Combine wet and dry until smooth.
Pour into greased pan and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
For stuffing:
Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute onion and celery until translucent. Stir in garlic and use broth to deglaze pan.
Toss all ingredients into a large bowl and combine well.
Transfer to a greased 9-10″ round or rectangular baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10-15.
