Healthy cornbread stuffing is gluten free, dairy free, and yeast free, but certainly not flavor free!  This cornbread dressing is perfect for all cornbread lovers and the perfect stuffing for your turkey feast!
Thanksgiving food is weird, it’s the only holiday where the food is definitely defined on a certain down outside of religious convictions.  In my family there is a dividing line, some people FREAKING LOVE the Thanksgiving meal and others prefer the Turkey Enchiladas that come afterward.  I’m definitely, team 100% on Team Turkey Enchilada.
I could take or leave turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and potatoes. Â I don’t like gravy, I never have and I don’t think I will. Â My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal has always been the cornbread. Â I’ve made multiple variations over the years, but I like the sweet moist varieties the best, especially slathered with BUDDAH!
That’s why I was THRILLED when the family survey results came back 100% yes for cornbread stuffing! Â I don’t really like stuffing, but cornbread stuffing, now I could eat that all day!
I’ve always hesitated to put up Thanksgiving-style recipes on Hungry Hobby, so before we get to the recipe here are a few of my thoughts surrounding Thanksgiving recipes:
1) Â In my mind, anything made from scratch is healthier than anything bought at the store. Â Even if it is full of butter and sugar, it isn’t full of weird chemicals I can’t pronounce. That isn’t even food.
2) Â Mr. Hungry has a gluten and yeast sensitivity. Â Really it’s the yeast that gets him almost immediately, he can tell even if it is just yeast extract in a product it upsets his stomach. Â It is some weird phenomenon in his family, his sister and cousin both have it. Â I actually find that to be a really common sensitivity the more I work with clients using MRT food sensitivity testing. Â So for Mr. Hungry, and many others, any recipe without yeast or gluten is healthier for him.
3)Some traditional recipes use a full stick of butter in a casserole dish of stuffing. Â I’m not going that far, I don’t want to drink my stuffing, I want to taste all the flavors of it. Â I was mindful of cooking fat when making this recipe, but I was also mindful that it’s Thanksgiving.
It’s one day, most of us don’t make stuffing as a regular meal. Â I make it only one time a year only and that does make it special! So I’m going to use butter, bacon fat, and all the good stuff, just not to
the point that I’m drinking it. Â If you want to drink something maybe go for the gravy, I think that’s what it’s for anyway?
Remember food feeds your body and feeds your soul, it took me a long time to learn that.  Times like Thanksgiving, when we gather with loved ones to share in a special meal that feeds the body,  it also feeds the soul.
I’ll be sharing Thanksgiving tips soon, but remember, part of healthy living is being a part of a tribe or community. I’m not saying jump off the table into a pool of gravy and pumpkin pie, unless that’s your thing, then you do you. Â I’m just saying enjoying those moments spent with the ones you love is just as important as all your push-ups, burpees, broccoli and kale. Â You feel me?
Healthy Cornbread Stuffing (Gluten & Yeast Free)
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Grain Corn Bread Prepared (I used this gluten free cornbread mix to make mine.
- 1 Stalk Organic Celery Washed and chopped
- 1 Yellow Sweet Onion chopped
- 2 tbsp bacon fat lard, ghee or Kerrygold butter*
- 1 tsp thyme ground
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
- Prepared (I used this gluten free cornbread mix to make mine. nutmeg
- sprinkle black pepper
- pinch salt to taste
- 1.5-2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- 24-48 hours ahead of time: Make the cornbread according to the package directions. (I like this one, because it is mostly whole grain ingredients except potato starch.) I left mine out for 24 hours to dry out a bit.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Saute chopped celery and onion for about 10 minutes on medium high in bacon fat, ghee or Kerrygold butter until the vegetables are translucent and tender. During the last minute of cooking adding seasonings (thyme, sage, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt).
- Cut cornbread into one inch cubes and spread the cubes evenly across in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Next, spread sauteed celery and onion evenly in the same casserole dish. Use a large spoon to gently mix the corn bread and veggies. You shouldn't need to mix it too much, just enough to so that there is an even layer of vegetables and cornbread.
- In a medium bowl whisk broth and eggs. Use two cups if you want a more moist casserole, use less broth for a dryer casserole. (I used 1.5cups and it came out medium, crispy on the top and bottom, moist in the center)
- Pour egg mixture over casserole evenly. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press the mixture down and ensure all the bread is soaked in the egg mixture.
- At this point you can refrigerate the mixture to bake later or bake 30-45 minutes until the top is crispy and lightly golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to check to make sure it has reach 165F. (When a ton of things are in the oven I prefer to bake it covered then broil it at the end. Either way will work! Or if you see it's getting to brown on top you can always cover it!)
Nutrition
*To make this recipe dairy-free you can substitute butter with a vegan butter (not my preferred to do the processing) or use ghee.  Ghee is clarified butter, meaning it’s butter that is free of lactose and casein, so many people can tolerate it better. Â
Don’t forget it, pin it for later!
Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving inspired recipes this week and in the meantime check out these:
Buttermilk Cauliflower Mash
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
#diedandgonetoheaven
Cornbread is everything. Everything should be cornbread. Let it be so