Better-For-You Holiday Dressing
Festive foods are a big part of any holiday – and what goes better with the Thanksgiving turkey than a flavorful dressing? Nothing – but it can be a bit on the rich side.
This recipe provides an approach that cuts some of the fat, keeps all the flavor and will impress your guests this November.
Better-For-You Holiday Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 1 apple, cored and cut into 1-inch dice
- 2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking oil
- ½ cup White wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup pecans
- 4 cups bread crumbs
- Seasoning mix (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (basil, parsley, oregano)
- ½ tablespoon thyme
- ¼ tablespoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ tablespoon sage
- ¼ tablespoon tarragon
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, add oil and cook onions until translucent.
- Add jalapenos, celery and apples, and then add salt, pepper and garlic. Cook until flavors combine.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, then add stock, and reduce to simmer.
- Cook about 20 minutes or until reduced by about two-thirds the volume remains.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked ingredients with bread crumbs and seasoning (if using) and mix until consistent.
- At this point, the stuffing is ready to go into the turkey. Fill the turkey cavity with stuffing, and bake until instant-read thermometer reaches inserted into the turkey breast reads 160 degrees F.
- For the safest possible meal, you should remove the stuffing and re-bake it until its central temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Do not bake the turkey to 165 degrees F as it could dry out the meat. Instead remove the bird, take out the stuffing and return it to the oven.
- While an extra step, you will want to take it to avoid drying out your turkey this Thanksgiving.
Source: Avera McKennan’s Executive Chef Drew Labreris
