Dried Fruit And Toasted Nut Stuffing Recipes

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.

WINTER FRUIT AND NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears; sprinkle with sugar. Sauté until pears are golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to very large bowl; mix in cinnamon. Melt remaining 10 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery; sauté until golden, about 15 minutes. Add wine and next 5 ingredients. Simmer until liquid is reduced almost to glaze and mixture is soft and moist, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Mix into pears. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)
• Mix bread and pecans into fruit mixture. Season stuffing with salt and pepper.
• To bake stuffing in turkey:
• Loosely fill main cavity and neck cavity of turkey with stuffing. Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish - alongside turkey or while turkey is resting - until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing in dish. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.
• To bake stuffing in dish:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Bake uncovered until heated through, about 35 minutes.

MULTIGRAIN STUFFING WITH NUTS AND DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 3-quart baking dish. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, apples and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried blueberries and dried cranberries. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk the eggs and parsley in a large bowl. Add the bread, then pour in the broth mixture and toss.
• Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden, about 30 more minutes.

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.

FRUIT-AND-NUT CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, apple, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage and cook until softened, about 3 more minutes.
• Put the cornbread in a large bowl and add the vegetable-apple mixture. Add the pecans and dried fruit; toss to combine. Add 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup at a time, tossing after each addition. The cornbread should feel moist but not mushy; add 1 more cup broth ¼ cup at a time if needed. Melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter and stir into the stuffing.
• Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Add the stuffing mixture and lightly press down. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is dry and browned, about 30 more minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

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.

FRUIT AND NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Sauté onions and celery in butter until translucent and add to a large bowl with unseasoned bread cubes and toasted pecans.
• If you need to toast your pecans you can do so over medium-low heat in a skillet.
• Add the following ingredients to the bowl: cranberries, raisins, sage thyme and marjoram.
• (You can add the chopped cooked giblets if you would like) Toss to blend and then add chicken broth to moisten and salt and pepper to taste.
• You can cook separately at 350°F for approximately 45 minutes or cook inside the bird.
• Cooking times will vary with size and shape of pan.
• Add broth to maintain preferred moisture level of stuffing.

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.

FRUIT AND NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Score the chestnuts and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until they have opened and the tough outer shells have loosened. Then peel the chestnuts, being careful to remove the fuzzy inner membrane. If they are difficult to peel, return them to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. When all the chestnuts are peeled, blanch them in a small pan of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they start to soften. Drain immediately.
• Place the apricots and raisins in separate bowls and cover them with boiling water. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
• Over low heat, gently saute the minced onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are soft and just starting to change color; this will take about 25 minutes. Place the onions and garlic in a mixing bowl.
• Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the chopped apples. Turn the heat up to medium and stir continuously. When the apples brown along the edges and start to soften, transfer them to the bowl with the onions and garlic.
• Chop the chestnuts coarsely and add them to the bowl. Drain the apricots and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Then drain the raisins and put them and the apricots in the bowl. Add the celery, croutons, orange rind, parsley, thyme and pepper. Pour in half of the turkey stock, mix, then stir in the remaining stock. Taste and season with salt and more pepper or thyme if desired. Set aside until you are ready to stuff the turkey.

MAPLE BAKED APPLES WITH DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts.
• 2. Place the apples in a baking pan or casserole dish and stuff their cavities with the fruit and nut mixture. Place a piece of butter on top of the stuffing.
• 3. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into the bottom of the baking pan and bake the apples, basting every 5 to 7 minutes, until they are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
• 4. When the apples are tender, transfer them to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer the mixture until it becomes syrupy and reduces to a sauce, about 10 minutes. Serve over the apples.
• Serving Suggestions
• Serve with yogurt, whipped crème fraîche, or ginger ice cream.

DRIED FRUIT AND TOASTED NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and let stand overnight, uncovered, at room temperature. (Alternatively, bake bread in a 300-degree oven until dry but not browned, about 15 minutes.)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot, and celery until tender and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer mixture to a large baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until top is golden brown and stuffing is firm, about 15 minutes more.
• Serve with Mushroom Gravy (optional).