It's hard to believe that it's almost Thanksgiving again, but here it is!  From turkey to pumpkin pie, I'm sure each of us has a list of our own favorite recipes rich with tradition and family memories. 

GF Bread, Bacon, Spinach & Pecan Stuffing

Many of us would include on that list; stuffing. I've been a diagnosed Celiac for many years and have experimented with many different stuffing recipes.  In the early years I focused on stuffings based on rice or even cornbread as an alternative to stuffings made with bread or in my case, gluten-free bread:

Apricot-Wild Rice Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing with Pecans
Cornbread, Bacon, Spinach & Cashew Stuffing
Pear & Pine Nut Stuffing
Wild Rice Stuffing with Hazelnuts
Wild Rice, Italian Sausage & Shiitake Stuffing
Wild Rice with Apples & Cranberry Stuffing

Although each of these recipes is delicious and a fabulous addition to any holiday meal, they veer from childhood memories of herbed bread stuffing that was spooned out of the turkey cavity, steaming hot and filling the kitchen with that familiar aroma.

The challenge to a great, gluten-free, traditional stuffing was of course the bread.  Not that gluten-free bread was difficult to find or make, but gluten-free bread typically doesn't hold up to tossing with stock and/or baking with turkey juices.  Gluten-free bread tends to get soggy and not hold its shape.  Even the current gluten-free breads on the market (you know who I'm talking about) are not as robust when put through a ‘stuffing' test.

Stuffing with Shrimp, Bacon and Swiss Chard

Through many Thanksgivings we have made and perfected traditional ‘bread based' stuffing by using Van's frozen waffles.  These waffles are stiffer than bread and will hold up perfectly to the process of making stuffing.  To prepare the waffles for our stuffing, we toast them first.  This makes them very crunchy and the perfect texture, much like the bags of cubed stuffing available in stores.  The next step is to cut them into cubes then you're ready to make one of our stuffing recipes or your own family favorite.  As a side note, we are not affiliated with Van's, they just happen to make a product that is perfect for stuffing!

Here are some of our favorite stuffing recipes we hope you and your whole family will enjoy this holiday season:

GF Bread, Bacon, Spinach & Pecan Stuffing
Herbed GF Bread Stuffing (Traditional stuffing)
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Stuffing with Shrimp, Bacon and Swiss Chard
Stuffing with Smoked Ham and Cherries

Happy Thanksgiving,

- Chef Yvonne

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