Vegetable Stuffing
Thanksgiving is around the corner and it is planning time: the menus, the guest list, what plates are you using, ordering your bird, all that goodness. Thanksgiving is such a special day for me, the first time I cooked for the whole family was the Thanksgiving before I left for college. I was so proud of myself, even with the grumbling my family did because it took a little longer than usual. That extra time is always needed and necessary. I have only skipped making the feast 2 times since then, so I am on my 12th Thanksgiving feast. It is now down to a science and we know exactly what we want each year, the recipes have been perfected and my husband will throw a mutiny if it wavers too much.
I recently saw a poll asking if you can it stuffing or dressing and I was like, obviously it’s stuffing! But I guess here in the South, most people have a cornbread dressing. Apparently the difference is that stuffing is usually shoved up the bird and dressing is a side. The thing is, I have never had a turkey with stuffing, growing up it was always a box of Stove Top that my mom dressed up with a variety of dried fruits. When I was older and started to make my own stuffing, using recipes from various sources and creating my own. And let me tell you, it’s good, I will post it next Thanksgiving for y’all, pinky swear!
I am sure there are people at your table, including yourself, who have some dietary changes or restrictions that you are struggling to navigate. So now I wanted to keep those same tried and true flavors but make them Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, Vegan, Gluten free, dairy free, and nut free. That way, no matter who is sitting at your beautifully set table, they have something delicious they can eat without worrying that grandma threw in something crazy.
Vegetable Stuffing
2 bags (10 oz) frozen cauliflower rice
1 head cauliflower chopped
6 Tablespoons oil, divided
8 oz white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
2 cups (4 medium) carrots, finely diced
2 cups (4 stalks) celery, finely diced
2 cups (1 large) onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
2 small apples, finely diced
2 Tablespoons salt, divided
1 Tablespoon pepper, divided
Parsley to sprinkle
- Preheat oven to 400. On a large baking sheet, combine the frozen cauliflower rice and the cauliflower chunks with 3 Tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss until all seasoned and roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway.
- While the cauliflower roasts, heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until browned.
- Add the last Tablespoon of oil to the pan and then add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with 1 Tablespoon salt, 1/2 Tablespoon pepper, the poultry seasoning, and all spice, stir to combine. Cook until the carrots are tender.
- Toss in the apples and the roasted cauliflower mix. Stir to combine and cook for a couple minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
These veggies are a great start to any stuffing recipe.
By using a combination of cauliflower rice and a chopped head of cauliflower, it adds great texture to the stuffing. Toss them together and roast with oil, salt, and pepper.
To clean mushrooms, you don’t want to rinse them, they absorb too much liquid and take a very long time to cook. Instead, take a damp paper towel and rub the dirt off the mushrooms and then wiggle the stem off.
I like to get all the chopping done at the same time so I can have everything ready when I need it and use the cooking time to focus on other things. Here are the sliced mushrooms, diced: carrots, celery, onion, and apples.
Brown the mushrooms in a large saute pan and with some oil. Do not season with salt and pepper, those will come later.
Then add a bit more oil and dump in the mirapoix, another name for base flavors, usually comprising of carrots, celery, and onion. Now you season with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and all spice.
Once it looks like this, you are ready for the last parts, everything is tender and a little browned.
Add in the apples and toss with the veggies, then add the roasted cauliflower for the final toss. It is ready to eat!
