Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh?

I tested this recipe with frozen cranberries and it made the stuffing a bit mushy. If you only have frozen cranberries, I suggest defrosting them first and patting them dry before adding them to the stuffing mixture.

How can I make this stuffing in advance?

For best results, I recommend assembly the stuffing just before baking, but you can prep a few things ahead of time. You can toast the bread cubes 1-2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also cook the veggie mixture a day in advance and store it in the fridge.

Apple Cranberry Stuffing (Vegetarian)

Description

This Apple Cranberry Stuffing is made with toasted bread cubes, vegetable broth, Honeycrisp apples, fresh cranberries and dried herbs. It’s the perfect vegetarian side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread (cut into 1-inch cubes, about 14 cups)
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
3-4 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 1/2 cups (600ml) no salt added vegetable broth
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 small Honeycrisp apples, cored and chopped

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 250F. Arrange the cubed bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. (You may need to use two sheets to spread out the bread in a single layer). Toast the cubes for 12-15 minutes, flip them over and toast for another 12-15 minutes, or until crispy but not browned.
Set the bread aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the broth, eggs, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, add the toasted bread cubes, vegetable/herb mixture, cranberries and chopped apples. Toss to combine.
Gradually pour the broth/egg mixture over the bread cube mixture, gently tossing together until everything is well coated. (*see note #1)
Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy.

Notes

You want all of the bread cubes moistened by the egg/broth mixture but you don’t want the bread so soggy that it’s falling apart. I like to gradually add the liquid and gently toss the bread cubes to ensure even coverage. You may find that you don’t need to use all the liquid.
To keep this stuffing vegetarian, we’re using vegetable broth. You can use chicken broth if you don’t need it to be vegetarian. I prefer to use no salt added broth. If you use low sodium or regular, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the stuffing.