Cranberry Pecan Stuffing -- The Side Dish That Holds a Year Together

Christmas Eve at Mama’s. Brayden is two hundred and twenty-one weeks old. Eden is one year and twenty-seven weeks. The cranberry pecan stuffing was my small contribution to the Christmas-Eve table.

Wednesday I made the stuffing.

Brayden has been the small enthusiastic-helper at the kitchen-counter on Sunday afternoons. He hands me ingredients. He stirs the small mixing bowl. He watches the small kitchen-process with the small intent-attention of the small kid-who-might-become-a-cook-someday. The small hereditary-pattern is in the small early-signs.

Eden has been the small attentive-baby-toddler. She watches her big-brother. She mimics the small ages-three-up-to-his behavior. The small younger-sibling shape is appearing in the small everyday-rhythm.

The catering-cookbook companion (the Pantry Rules companion) has continued to sell at its small steady pace. The two-cookbook online-store has become the small reliable-revenue-stream. The small third-cookbook is in the small mental-outline-stage but is not in active drafting.

Cody’s pop-up has continued to evolve. The small Tuesday-double-and-occasional-Wednesday rotation is now the small standard rhythm. The small annual revenue has crossed $100,000. Cody has been thinking about a small private-dining-room booking expansion using the small new expanded-space.

Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 loaf (about 12 oz) day-old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped and lightly toasted
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Dry the bread. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Let sit uncovered overnight, or bake at 300°F for 20 minutes until dry and lightly crisp. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
3. Cook the aromatics. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine. Pour the onion mixture over the bread cubes. Add dried cranberries, toasted pecans, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
5. Add liquid. Whisk the beaten eggs into the warm broth. Pour over the bread mixture and fold gently until the bread has absorbed the liquid and everything is evenly moistened. Do not overmix — you want the bread to hold some texture.
6. Bake. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and crisp and the center is set.
7. Rest and serve. Let the stuffing rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 370mg