Traditional Stuffing Makeover (Grain-free, Paleo, Keto, GAPS, low-carb)

Thanksgiving is ALL about the food, am I right? And for the majority of us, we enjoy keeping Thanksgiving as traditional as possible. First, there’s the turkey, the star of the night!  But then we also turn to side dishes like green beans, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole, and stuffing.

BUT WAIT!

How can we possibly include STUFFING in our menu if we are trying to stay Paleo, gluten, or grain-free?

And let’s be real here. We ALL want to eat stuffing at Thanksgiving! This means NOT turning down the typical stuffing full of bread leaves us feeling guilty and regretful knowing we just consumed food that can negatively affect our health!

Plus, if we fill a turkey with the traditional bread stuffing, we end up with a turkey that is no longer gluten-free!

That’s where my STUFFING MAKEOVER comes in! This grain-free recipe is JUST like your grandmother used to make and full of all the same goodness EXCEPT NOW it is grain-free, low carb, and packed with NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS!

No guilt, no regret, no brain fog, no digestive issues!

This stuffing recipe uses either my Grain-Free Coconut Cornbread recipe or my Paleo Cornbread Muffins recipe, so be sure to check those out first (and make an extra batch for that Thanksgiving table!)

Also, since some of you may enjoy some meat in your stuffing I added chicken liver and sausage as optional ingredients. The chopped apples are also a nice touch that gives the dish a bit of sweetness however, remember it does up the carb count so if you are really watching your carbohydrate intake you may want to skip these.

Try it this year and see how you like it!

Yield: 16

Author: Yvonne Tomlinson

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Traditional Stuffing Makeover

Grain-free, Paleo, Keto, GAPS, low carb

Prep time: 24 MinCook time: 43 MinTotal time: 1 H & 7 M

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chicken liver, cooked and chopped optional
• 1/2 lb ground sausage optional
• 1/2 cup butter, ghee, or animal fat divided
• 3 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups onions or 1.5-2 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 3 cups celery, chopped or 1.5-2 bunches
• 3 cups parsley, chopped or 2 bunches
• 1-2 green apples, chopped optional
• 2-3 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2-3 tbsp fresh sage, chopped can use 1 tbsp ground sage
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth
• grain-free coconut cornbread or paleo cornbread muffins made in advance; see links to recipes below!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. If using, cook the chicken liver in a small saucepan with 1-2 tbsp. ghee or butter on medium low heat until browned and cooked through.
3. If using, heat a skillet over medium heat and add a little fat to it. Then add the sausage. Using a spatula, break up the meat and cook through. Remove from pan and leave to the side.
4. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter, ghee, or animal fat in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped mushrooms, onions, garlic, and leeks for 6-8 minutes or until the mushrooms have started to shrink and the onions just become translucent. Do not fully cook!
5. Chop the celery and parsley and put them into a large mixing bowl with the chopped apples. Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and leeks and mix everything together until well combined.
6. Add the finely chopped chicken liver (if using), sausage (if using), rosemary, sage, thyme, sea salt, and pepper, and mix well.
7. Mix in the remaining melted fat and ½ cup of chicken/ turkey bone broth.
8. Gently mix in the 1-inch cubes of Grain Free Coconut Cornbread or Paleo Cornbread Muffins, tossing until well combined. Be careful not to over-mix!
9. Scoop stuffing into a large baking dish or Dutch oven and cook, uncovered for 45-60 minutes until the top is golden brown!

Notes

Your stuffing should be moist and hold together slightly when pressed together with your fingers. You don’t want a sticky mass. If it is still too dry add a small amount of bone broth to moisten.

*You can make the stuffing the day before and store it, covered, in the fridge!

*You can cook the stuffing in the oven, under the Turkey, at 325F. 

Link to Grain Free Coconut Cornbread

Link to Paleo Cornbread Muffins

Nutrition Facts

Calories

147

Fat

11

Sat. Fat

4

Carbs

8

Fiber

2

Net carbs

6

Sugar

4

Protein

5

Sodium

438

Cholesterol

20