Best Stove-Top Stuffing

Stuffing is probably my favorite thing about both Thanksgiving and Christmas... It's just the ultimate in comfort food because of it's hearty flavors and carb-heavy nature. But it seems to be one of those dishes that, though a classic, is easy to screw up. I don't think there is really as much room to experiment with stuffing as some magazines seem to think around the holiday season - sure you can add a new ingredient here or there but keep the celery, carrots, onion, and bread please. Maybe a touch of mushroom, some cranberries, or chopped apple, but I don't want cabbage in my stuffing and nothing can be substituted for bread.

Oddly enough, when I was little I never liked stuffing. As I've said, stuffing is a great comfort food and full of nostalgia for me - maybe I just didn't need food to partake in such comfort and joy as a child. I'm just glad that I've finally discovered the wonders of stuffing and have perfected a recipe that no one can beat. I use most of the staples, but I do add a bit of apple for some natural sweetness. Other than that, this is pretty traditional as far as stuffing in the Keller family goes. I don't even go all out with fancy crusty breads because I actually prefer the way sandwich breads get more soft and chewy. So if you want to stick to basics for your holiday stuffing, give this recipe a try!

Best Stove-Top Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 apples (I use Honeycrisp), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Bread (I used about 15 toasted slices of a thin whole wheat sandwich bread - just make sure to use about 20 oz of day-old or toasted bread), toasted and chopped
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and lightly salt. Let cook until soft and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add apples and garlic. Cook another 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add rosemary, thyme, sage, and cinnamon, stirring until all ingredients are fully coated with seasonings.

4. Add the bread pieces and mix with vegetables. Allow to toast 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add vegetable stock about 1/2 cup at a time. Mix after each addition and add until stuffing reaches desired consistency.

6. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!