Plant-Based, Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

A gluten free side dish made with Erin Baker’s Sprouted Snacks and simple ingredients you can find at Trader Joe’s!

On a day like Thanksgiving when your oven is working overtime and you have an endless list of recipes to prepare, Trader Joe’s is here to save the day. Every time I shop at Trader Joe’s there’ s a new discovery to be made whether it’s finding out they have pre-chopped produce or new products like cauliflower gnocchi - I always leave with more than what was on my list. It’s basically the Target of food stores! Aside from their unique offerings, they have so many pantry staples at affordable prices with many organic and non-GMO options. For all of these reasons we chose Trader Joe’s as the shopping grounds for this delicious Thanksgiving recipe. This recipe celebrates everything that’s great about these nationwide stores and 99% of the ingredients used can be purchased there! The only ingredient you have to get elsewhere is our Sea Salt Sprouted Snacks. You can find them on our website or in a store near you - check out our store locator. Trust me you wont want to miss out on the crunch these nut and seed mixes bring to this stuffing.

Stuffing is one of those dishes that is a staple for the holidays, but it doesn’t always get the love and attention it deserves. This year I encourage you to step outside of the box and ditch your favorite stuffing mix. Instead use the amazing products from Trader Joe’s for a more flavorful and satisfying homemade stuffing that’s still easy to assemble. Taking a few minutes to prepare fresh herbs and veggies will have a huge impact on the flavor of your dish. We’re keeping this recipe meat free which makes it even quicker.

With pre-diced yellow onions, pre-chopped mushrooms and minced garlic available for purchase, the only thing you’ll need to chop is half of an apple, a few stalks of celery and some fresh herbs. Each of these pre-chopped items came with more than enough for this recipe so I recommend using them in other side dishes to cut down on prep time even more. All three would be a great base for a homemade green bean casserole. I like to have all my veggies and herbs chopped first thing that way you can just mix, bake and enjoy – right after you make your homemade croutons!

Using the gluten free multigrain sandwich bread from Trader Joe’s simply chop half the loaf into bite sized pieces, drizzle olive oil, minced garlic, salt and rosemary. Bake the croutons for 1 hour and you’re ready to assemble. This is a good step to do the night before to cut down even more on your chaotic cooking day. This bread has got a great mild multigrain flavor and by toasting the garlic and rosemary along with it, the flavor of each is amplified. Make sure to use a lot of olive oil when using a gluten free bread, they tend to be more dry than a standard loaf. You can also opt for one of the many bakery style bread loaves that Trader Joe’s has to offer if you don’t need to avoid gluten. The sourdough or rosemary loaves would be perfect in this recipe!

It’s not all about the bread in this recipe! The mushrooms offer a great texture and flavor to this meatless side dish. Even if you’re going to have a traditional turkey in the center of your table it’s wonderful to offer vegetarian or vegan side dishes for those family members who have a different way of eating. That way everyone can be a part of the traditional experience. We also added our Sea Salt Sprouted Snacks to this stuffing. Between the crunchy croutons, oats, nuts and sprouted seeds you get a variety of plant-based grains and textures to enjoy. Before making this recipe, Erin made sure I knew to include either apples or pears in the recipe. I went with Gala Apples, but any variety of pear or mild apple would be a delicious sweet addition that offers yet another texture. Through this recipe it’s clear that variety is the key to a good stuffing. Variety in flavors and textures - Craisins, mushrooms, celery, garlic, fresh herbs, crunchy bread, nuts and seeds - this recipe has it all.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe - Plant Based, Gluten Free

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped mushrooms
• 4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• ½ of 1 gala apple
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 egg (or 1 flax egg to make the recipe Vegan)
• 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
• ½ loaf gluten free bread (8 slices)
• ¼ cup Craisins
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Bag Sea Salt Sprouted Snacks

Directions:

Prep the Croutons:

1. Preheat oven to 250⁰ F
2. Chop bread into cubes and place in a bowl
3. Toss in 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp minced garlic and 2 tsp chopped rosemary
4. Bake for 1 hour

For the Stuffing:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Brown the chopped onions, mushrooms and minced garlic in remaining olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned.
3. Add to pan your sliced celery, diced apple, craisins and herbs - cook for 3 minutes.
4. In a large bowl combine heated ingredients with croutons and Sprouted Snacks.
5. Transfer your mixture to a pie dish.
6. Mix your egg or flax egg with the broth in a small bowl.
7. Pour your wet mixture over your stuffing.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

Enjoy with friends & family!

Symone Maruyama
Customer Experience Coordinator | Erin Baker's