I remember coming home from sleepaway camp one summer, to find that the chocolate chip cookies were now whole grain carob bars, and the cola was now seltzer. This was not a huge surprise, as Mom was always trying to figure out ways to have us eat healthier. Mostly, this sucked—I mean have you ever eaten a carob bar? But, one Thanksgiving she decided to supplement a small package of stuffing mix with a metric ton of veggies. Surprisingly, it was much, much better than ordinary stuffing. I invite you to give it a try yourself!
Ingredients
- 1 lb crusty bread, diced
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 head cauliflower, grated
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 3 medium zucchini, grated
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
How to Make It
- Place the bread cubes on a sheet pan and toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. You know what toast looks like.
- While the bread is toasting, place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion, salt, pepper, and paprika. Sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, and add the garlic, celery, cauliflower, carrot, zucchini,
- thyme, oregano, and sage. Sauté for another 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables soften and start to brown.
- Transfer the skillet contents to a large mixing bowl. Add toast cubes and broth to the vegetable mixture, and fold to combine. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the bottom of a baking dish. Place the empty oiled dish into the oven for 5 minutes.
- When the oil is very hot, remove the dish from the oven and spoon the stuffing mixture from the mixing bowl into the baking dish. It should sizzle as it hits the oil. Using a spatula, even out the top of the stuffing.
- Place the baking dish back in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is crisp and lightly brown. Allow the stuffing to cool for 10 minutes before digging in!
