Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls – Delicious Holiday Side Recipe
These Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls are a delicious and festive side dish perfect for holiday celebrations. Made with classic bread crumbs, fresh or dried cranberries, fragrant sage, onions, and garlic, these moist and flavorful balls are baked to golden perfection. Easy to prepare and sure to please, they add a delightful twist to traditional stuffing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 12-16 stuffing balls 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- ½ cup cooked cranberries (fresh or dried)
- ¼ cup sage (fresh or dried)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cooked cranberries, sage, finely chopped onion, and minced garlic. Stir well to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth and melted butter until fully blended.
- Mix Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is moist and well combined, ensuring even texture.
- Season and Form Balls: Add salt and pepper to taste, then with clean hands, form the mixture into 1 to 1.5 inch balls, making sure they hold together.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the stuffing balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly to allow for proper cooking and browning.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the balls halfway through the baking time for even golden browning on all sides.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the stuffing balls cool slightly for about 5 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- Use fresh or dried cranberries based on availability and preference; dried cranberries add a chewier texture and sweeter flavor.
- Fresh sage provides a more aromatic flavor, but dried sage works well too if fresh is unavailable.
- For a richer taste, you can substitute vegetable broth with chicken broth if not keeping vegetarian.
- Ensure the balls are compact enough to hold together, but avoid overmixing which can make them dense.
- These stuffing balls can be made ahead and reheated in the oven before serving.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs.
Keywords: Thanksgiving, stuffing balls, holiday side dish, baked stuffing, cranberry stuffing, sage, autumn recipes, vegetarian side
