Apple Cranberry Dressing

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One of my favorite parts of holiday meals are the sides. But those delectable dishes can contain a good bit of salt, therefore, a low sodium dressing recipe comes in handy when trying to plan a low salt holiday meal.

This holiday stuffing delivers a wonderfully unique flavor that surprises and delights. This low salt dressing serves up bold flavor combined with a touch of sweetness. It is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a Sunday family dinner. Technically this side dish would be considered dressing since you prepare it outside of the bird, but you could also make it inside the bird should you choose.

Don’t freak out at prep time it is worth the time to make your low sodium dressing

I don’t want you to get discouraged by the prep time on this recipe. Drying out your bread cubes will take a large portion (60-90 minutes) of your prep time. So, this is not a labor-intensive recipe, but it could seem that way at first glance.

Typical stuffing or dressing recipes use a bag of dried bread cubes. These cubes often have plenty of “seasoning” which is loosely translated as having plenty of salt.

This recipe for Apple Cranberry Dressing uses Kings Hawaiin Sweet Rolls for the bread cubes. These rolls have one of the lowest sodium levels found in commercially baked breads. By utilizing these lower salt sweet rolls, your dressing will have a sweetness to it. But it would be a mistake to call this a desert stuffing! Other ingredients will balance the sweetness of the bread.

Store-bought stuffing mixes have a tremendous amount of sodium. Even the “lower sodium” boxed stuffing mixes aren’t exactly low sodium. Making your own will allow you to control the salt content and overall flavor profile.

I encourage you to play around with the spices in this recipe. Maybe add a bit more pepper or perhaps a dash of herbs de Provence would be a welcome addition. Here’s the thing, you can customize this recipe, if you want, to find that nice balance of flavors.

Low Sodium Apple Cranberry Stuffing

Low Sodium Apple Cranberry Stuffing

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Perfect for the holidays, this low sodium dressing combines sweet, tart, and savory to make a delicious low salt side dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of unsalted chicken broth
  • 1 cup of dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper (red or green), chopped
  • 1 cup of celery, chopped
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and finely chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 (10.75 oz) can of unsalted cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • One 12-roll pack (about 8 cups) of King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 250 °F.
  2. Cube the sweet rolls, spread out onto a large cookie or baking sheet.
  3. Bake in 250-degree oven until bread is lightly toasted and completely dried out; about 60-90 minutes depending on your oven...be sure to stir the bread occasionally to ensure an even toasting.
  4. With about 30 minutes left in your toasting process, take a small bowl and combine unsalted chicken broth and cranberries; let soak for at least 30 minutes.
  5. When your breadcrumbs are done, remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 °F.
  6. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and celery; cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
  7. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  8. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.
  9. In a separate bowl, beat 3 eggs with pepper. Set aside.
  10. In the large bowl containing your cooked apples and vegetables, add the chicken broth/cranberry mixture, can unsalted cream of chicken soup, and cinnamon. Sitr until the condensed soup is completely incorporated.
  11. Fold in toasted bread cubes, until bread is completely coated.
  12. Add eggs and gently stir until combine Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until center is set.

Notes

  • Let's talk bell peppers. I reccomend using a red bell pepper because it gives it a nice pop of color...and you eat first with your eyes! But not everyone is a fan, so feel free to use a green bell pepper. Or a yellow. It is totally your call!
  • I like a bit more pepper, so I typically add a good bit of fresh ground black pepper. But that is all up to your taste!
  • The cinnamon brings a warm holiday note to this low sodium dressing, but not everyone is a fan. So, feel free to omit this ingredient if it doesn't seem like your thing.

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Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1 Amount Per Serving Calories 248Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 70mgSodium 137mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 3gSugar 16gProtein 6g

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