Whole Wheat and Cornbread Stuffing

One of my boyfriend's and my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is stuffing. I am in love with Stove Top boxed stuffing, but this year on a strive to be a bit healthier and more original, I decided to make stuffing (among other things) from scratch. I don't think it was actually too much healthier, but it was definitely delicious! He loves cornbread, so that had to be a part of the dish, and I like healthy bread, so I used Arnold whole wheat light bread, which has far less calories than ordinary bread. I really wanted to use white bread, but that just wasn't in the cards. Ah well. I got lots of flavor this way, so I can't complain. :) The stuffing ended up being one of the dishes that went the fastest, so it must mean that it was good!

Photo Copyright 2011 Katie Peters

Whole Wheat and Cornbread Stuffing


Ingredients:
-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
-2 stalks celery, finely diced
-cornbread, cubed (I used a package mix from the store that filled about an 8x10 pan)
-1 loaf Arnold whole wheat bakery light bread, cubed
-3 tbsp. margarine (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
-1 1/3 c. turkey stock (made from boiling the giblets that were removed from the turkey)
-1 tbsp. garlic powder
-1 tbsp. onion powder
-2 low-sodium chicken-flavor bouillon cubes
-salt/pepper, to taste

1. Heat up a large pot and add oil. When oil is hot, add onions.
2.Once onions are on their way to becoming translucent, add celery and margarine.

Photo Copyright 2011 Katie Peters

3. After celery softens a little, after 4 or 5 minutes, add the cornbread and whole wheat bread. Mix very well (make sure the margarine soaks into the bread!).

Photo Copyright 2011 Katie Peters

 4. Add turkey stock, continue to mix.
5. Add the spices and bouillon cubes and mix. There should be no liquid remaining at the bottom of the pot.

Photo Copyright 2011 Katie Peters

 6. When turkey is ready to put in the oven, use this stuffing to fill the cavity.
7. Place remaining stuffing in a baking pan. Top with thyme sprigs. Bake at 325 degrees until hot throughout and crispy on top.

Mmmm! - Photo Copyright 2011 Katie Peters

Happy Eating!