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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Multigrain Stuffing with Fruits & Nuts

    Published: Oct 21, 2022 · Modified: Mar 3, 2023 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Overhead view of crockery bowl filled with baked stuffing. Pin text reads: The Best Vegetarian Holiday Stuffing with Fruits & Nuts | Inspired by Mother Earth News, c1986

    Filled with multigrain goodness, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, and warm, toasty seasonings, this savory homemade stuffing is perfect for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinner.

    Overhead view of crockery bowl filled with baked stuffing, surrounded by fall decorations (sunflowers, fresh sage)

    This stuffing is naturally vegetarian (and easy to adapt for vegans), and perfect for the holidays! This tasty dressing recipe can be baked alone as a traditional stuffing casserole, used to stuff a pumpkin, turkey, or other holiday main, or even made into individual stuffing muffins!

    Jump to:
    • Stuffing Ingredients
    • How to Make the Best Vegetarian Stuffing
    • Variations
    • FAQ
    • More Holiday Recipes
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Multigrain Stuffing with Fruits & Nuts

    Stuffing Ingredients

    Stuffing ingredients, labeled: bread cubes, dried fruits, apples, onions, celery, eggs, sage, butter, nuts, spices.
    • Bread cubes: You will need a whole loaf (or almost a whole loaf) of hearty, whole grain bread (about 1½ pounds). We always make this stuffing with either Dave's Killer Good Seed Bread, or a hearty honey-wheatberry bread.
    • Dried fruits: We usually use a mixture of golden raisins and dried cranberries. Other fruits that work well are chopped dried apricots, peaches, and figs.
    • Nuts: The recipe lists walnuts and Brazil nuts, but you can use other nuts as desired. Pecans, pine nuts, and hazelnuts (filberts) are all good substitutes.
    • Onions: Use a sweet or yellow onion for this recipe.
    • Celery
    • Apples: Use any good baking apple. We tend to like the sweet-tart varieties for this stuffing; Braeburn and Honeycrisp work particularly well.
    • Mushrooms: Use regular white, or button, mushrooms. Crimini mushrooms will also work.
    • Wine: The best choice is probably a dry chablis. That said, I've made this stuffing using everything from a Reisling to plain white grape juice. It always turns out.
    • Butter: Use real, salted or unsalted butter.
    • Eggs: Use large eggs. Add an extra egg if your eggs are smaller.
    • Sage: Fresh sage is in season during the holidays, so if you can use fresh, do so.
    • Oregano
    • Basil
    • Cumin
    • Nutmeg: Use Freshly ground if possible. It really does make a difference.
    • Salt: We always use kosher salt for this recipe.
    • Pepper

    How to Make the Best Vegetarian Stuffing

    Toast Bread

    Toast the bread slices one at a time in the toaster or on a tray in the oven. Do not stack the slices as they cool.

    When all the toasted bread has cooled, cut it into ½- to ¾-inch cubes. Set aside.

    Sauté Vegetables

    In a small bowl, combine the dry herbs and spices. Set aside.

    Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Sauté onion over until translucent; 8-10 minutes.

    Add chopped celery and sliced mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes more. Season with a pinch of salt as the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Remove from heat.

    Mushrooms, onions, celery sauteeing in a large skillet.

    Mix Dressing

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed vegetables, bread cubes, herb and spice mix, chopped apples, nuts, and dried fruits. Toss gently to combine, and set aside.

    Dry stuffing ingredients in a large pottery bowl.

    In a large skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in wine.

    Slowly drizzle the butter mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking as you do.

    Process shots of butter melting, and mixed with eggs and wine.

    Pour the garlic sauce over the stuffing mix and toss gently to coat.

    If the mixture seems too dry, mix a little more liquid in: wine, water or vegetable stock all work fine.

    Mixed, unbaked stuffing in a large pottery bowl.

    Bake

    Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

    Pour the dressing mixture into a greased casserole dish.

    Bake prepared stuffing for 35-45 minutes, or until the bread cubes on top begin to brown and crisp. (Internal temperature should reach at least 165°F | 74°C.)

    Crockery bowl filled with baked stuffing, surrounded by fall decorations (sunflowers, fresh sage)

    Variations

    Vegan: To adapt this recipe for vegans, start by using a vegan bread. Replace the butter with vegan butter or coconut oil, and use ½ cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt or 2-egg equivalent of your favorite egg replacer for the two eggs. That's it.

    FAQ

    What's the difference between stuffing and dressing?

    My mother, who had deep Southern roots, used to say that stuffing is cooked inside something (i.e., as in a turkey, or a pumpkin), while dressing is cooked on its own (as in a casserole). The two can have identical ingredients. This thinking seems to be in agreement with most modern dictionary definitions as well.

    In the US, however, the distinction between the two seems to be more about regional lines than preparation techniques; with most folks in the North referring to it all as stuffing, while most Southerners and Midwest natives refer to it as dressing.

    Crockery casserole dish filled with baked stuffing, surrounded by fall decorations (sunflowers, fresh sage).

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    Serving Suggestions

    Large stuffed pumpkin with lid, surrounded by fresh sage and autumn decor.

    This multigrain stuffing recipe is the one we use to make our delectable oven-roasted Stuffed Pumpkin, a distinctive vegetarian holiday main dish and a beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.

    • Gochujang Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • Grammi's Carrot Pineapple Jello Salad (Sunshine Salad)
    • Orange-Spiced Cranberry Sauce
    • Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie
    • Nana's Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread
    Overhead view of crockery bowl filled with baked stuffing, surrounded by fall decorations (sunflowers, fresh sage)

    Multigrain Stuffing with Fruits & Nuts

    Filled with multigrain goodness, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, and warm, toasty seasonings, this savory homemade stuffing is perfect for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
    Inspired by a recipe in Mother Earth News, circa 1986.
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Holiday
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time:40 minutes minutes
    Cook Time:30 minutes minutes
    Total Time:1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 170kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
    • 1 large mixing bowl
    • 1 large casserole dish or other vessel for cooking the stuffing
    • 1 Small Skillet
    • 1 wire whisk

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
    • 20 leaves fresh sage chopped; or 1½ teaspoons dry sage
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon salt plus additional as needed
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper or white pepper
    • ½ cup butter
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 1 cup diced celery
    • 1½ cup sliced mushrooms ~4 ounces
    • 20 slices whole grain bread toasted and cubed
    • 1 large apple chopped
    • ½ cup walnuts finely chopped
    • ¾ cup Brazil nuts finely chopped
    • ¾ cup golden raisins or a mix of dried fruits; raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, etc.
    • 2 whole eggs
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup white wine or white grape juice

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
    • Toast the bread slices one at a time in the toaster or on a tray in the oven. Do not stack the slices as they cool.
      When all the toasted bread has cooled, cut it into ½- to ¾-inch cubes. Set aside.
    • In a small bowl, combine the sage, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
    • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Sauté onion over until translucent; 8-10 minutes.
      Add chopped celery and sliced mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes more.
      Season with a pinch of salt as the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Remove from heat.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed vegetables, bread cubes, herb and spice mix, chopped apples, nuts, and dried fruits.
      Toss gently to combine, and set aside.
    • In a small skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat.
      Add minced garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in wine.
      Slowly drizzle the butter mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking as you do.
    • Pour the garlic sauce over the stuffing mix and toss gently to coat.
      If the mixture seems too dry, mix a little more liquid in: wine, water, or vegetable stock all work fine.
    • Pour the dressing mixture into a greased casserole dish and gently press it in.
      Bake prepared stuffing for 35-45 minutes, or until the bread cubes on top begin to brown and crisp. (Internal temperature should reach at least 165°F | 74°C.)

    Notes

    Use a hearty, textured bread for this recipe. We suggest 20 slices of Dave’s Killer Good Seed Bread or hearty honey-wheat berry bread.
    Vegan adaptations:
    • Use a vegan-friendly bread.
    • Replace the butter with soy vegan butter or coconut oil.
    • Replace the 2 eggs with either ½ cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt or 2-egg equivalent of your favorite egg replacer.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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