If you thought incredible stuffing without toasted wheat bread was impossible, we’ve got a great surprise in store for you.  The perfect Thanksgiving feast this year can include the perfect dressing for your turkey.  Whether you prefer to ‘stuff’ your turkey or bake the stuffing separately, the following recipes will steal the show at your holiday table.  

Each of the following recipes have received a five star rating from our readers and we agree, stuffing never tasted so good!

Apricot-Wild Rice Stuffing

Apricot Wild Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups wild rice
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
  
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
  
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

Directions:

Cook the wild rice according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine apricots, white wine and water. Heat in the microwave on high 1 to 2 minuts or until hot. Let stand 10 minutes; drain.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart casserole. Drain apricots and discard the soaking liquid; place apricots in a large bowl. Add cooked wild rice, cherries, pine nuts, parsley, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add celery; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Add scallions, cook another 30 seconds. Add to wild rice mixture; mix well. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon into casserole.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until hot.

Cornbread, Bacon, Spinach & Cashew Stuffing

Ingredients:

For the cornbread:

• 1 cup gf flour
  
• 1 cup corn meal
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
  
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 1/2 cup canola oil
  

• 2 onions, chopped
  
• 1 lb. sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide pieces
  
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
  
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 9 oz. baby spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped
  
• 2 cups cashews, coarsely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  
• 1 cup gf Chicken stock
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Make the cornbread:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine gf flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs and canola oil.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into an 13x9-inch greased baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack. (HYPERLINK "http://www.glutenfreeda.com/recipe-view.asp?cat=6&id=2650"Cornbread can be made a day ahead of time.) Cut the cornbread into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Lay out on a baking sheet. Preheat the broiler. Broil cornbread cubes, turning halfway through, for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cook the bacon in 2 batches in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Add the chopped onion and celery to the skillet; sauté until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers; sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic; sauté for about 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and stir in the spinach, cashews and cornbread cubes. Add the butter, stock and bacon. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the stuffing to a large baking dish. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Herbed Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes (12 waffles) Van’s gf frozen waffles, toasted and cut into 1/2" cubes
  
• 3 medium onions, chopped
  
• 3 celery ribs, thinly sliced crosswise
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoons herbs de provence
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  
• 1-1/2 cups gf chicken stock
  
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toast the frozen waffles 1-1/2 times, until crispy but not burned. Let cool, then cut into 1/2" cubes. Set aside.

Cook onions, celery and herbs in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, toss together bread cubes, vegetables and stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the stuffing to a large baking dish. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Pear & Pine Nut Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
  
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
  
• 1/3 cup gf cornbread
  
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  
• 3/4 cup chopped parsley
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
  
• 1/2 cup gf Chicken Stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and cook until heated through. Add melted butter and stock and toss to blend. Transfer to baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve.

Sausage, Pecan & Raisin Stuffing

For cornbread:

• 1 cup gf flour
  
• 1 cup corn meal
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
  
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 1/2 cup canola oil
  

• 1 pound ground pork
  
• 1-1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  
• 1 teaspoon anise seed
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
  

• 1 pound Italian sausage
  
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 3 cups onion, chopped
  
• 2 cups celery, chopped
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
• 6 cups cubed cornbread
  
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  
• 1 cup raisins
  
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

For cornbread:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8"x8" baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine gf flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs and canola oil.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.
Fill baking dish with prepared batter and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For sausage:
Mix all ingredients until well blended.

For stuffing:
Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you cook. Cook and stir until sausage is browned. Remove sausage to a plate with a paper towel, leaving any grease in the skillet. Add the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add onions, celery, salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are soft. Add cornbread, thyme, sage, raisins, pecans and sausage, stirring to blend. Adjust seasonings. If stuffing a turkey, cool completely before stuffing. If cooking separately, add 6 Tablespoons of melted butter and 1-1/2 cups gf chicken stock to stuffing, tossing to coat. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake in a 350 degree F oven, covered with foil for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tips 

This recipe takes a bit of preparation in making the cornbread and sausage prior to actually making the stuffing, but we thought it was definately worth it. It is also better to make the cornbread and sausage the day before you make the stuffing. The sausage is better when refrigerated overnight and the stuffing is better when the cornbread is a little stale.

Wild Rice, Italian Sausage & Shiitake Stuffing

Wild Rice, Italian Sausage & Shiitake Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 4 cups gf chicken stock
  
• 1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and reserved, caps thinly sliced
  
• 2 cups wild rice (about 11 ounces)
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• Coarse salt
  
• 1 pound gf Italian sausage, casings removed, and meat crumbled
  
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and finely chopped
  
• 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine gf chicken stock and shiitake stems; bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

Strain stock and return it to saucepan. Add wild rice, bay leaf and 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt. Cover and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 1 hour; add a little water during cooking if necessary.

In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat until cooked through, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.

Pour off fat from skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons.

In the skillet heat 1 tablespoon reserved fat and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately-high heat, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add apple and fennel seeds and cook for 3 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a large baking dish.

In skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon fat and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sliced shiitakes and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add shiitakes to onion mixture. Stir in wild rice, sausage and dried cranberries. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cover dish and bake for 20 minutes. 

Tips 

This recipe can be prepared, up to baking step, 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let return to room temperature before baking.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

-Chef Yvonne