cornbread stuffing {v+gf}

I’ve been making a variation of this recipe, from one of my favorite food blogs, Feasting at Home, for a couple years now as a meat-free alternative for Thanksgiving. I finally got around to writing the down recipe as a few people have asked me for it. This time, I made a gluten-free and vegan skillet cornbread rather than a store-bought GF baguette and it was sooo delicious! It does add an extra step to this recipe, but I enjoy spending time in the kitchen with family and friends especially on a day practically devoted to cooking and feasting.

You can certainly buy any kind of cornbread or bread you like (sourdough, French baguette, etc.), but the skillet cornbread only takes few minutes to put together.

The broth from the dried mushrooms adds an umami flavor, coupled with the heartiness of the butternut squash and the texture from the skillet cornbread creates a warm and satisfying meal. This gluten-free, vegan cornbread stuffing is the perfect meat-free main course for a holiday feast, served with a light salad and some roasted veggies. Or, have it as a side dish—vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will devour it happily.

I like to prep this dish ahead of time and assemble it the day of, as indicated in the recipe instructions below. You could also swap ingredients if you like—perhaps sweet potato instead of the squash, or fennel instead of celery—let me know how your subsitutions turn out by adding a comment below.

Bon appetit!

Tools

measuring cups and spoons

bowl or Pyrex measuring cup

dutch oven or large skillet

2 baking sheets

parchment paper

chopping knife

cutting board

9x13 baking pan

Gluten-free and Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free stuffing

Serves 6-8 as a side

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups skillet cornbread, French bread, sourdough or any bread of choice, cut into one-inch cubes
• 1.5 cups hot water
• 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms (one small package, I used porcini)
• 1.5 pounds mix of fresh mushrooms (shiitake, chanterelle, cremini)
• 2.5 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
• Olive oil
• 1 cup Myokos butter or butter of choice, plus more to grease the baking dish
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 large leeks (white and light green parts) thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chickpea brine from canned chickpeas or you can sub one egg
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, plus some springs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, plus some springs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley for garnish
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Ingredients:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F and prepare the boiling water. Peal and slice the butternut squash or buy precut to save time.
• In a medium bowl or Pyrex cup, pour 1.5 cups of boiling water over the dried mushrooms and let sit for about 20 minutes or so while you prepare the other ingredients. When the oven is ready, roast the butternut squash for about 20 minutes until lightly browned and tender, rotating halfway through cooking.
• Slice the mushrooms, removing the stems if using shiitake. Heat a large pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, saute the mushrooms for about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring every so often. When the mushrooms are soft and tender, turn down the heat to medium and add the leeks, celery and garlic to the pan; cook another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks and celery are tender.
• When the squash is ready, remove it from the oven and turn down the heat to 350 F. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes, place on a lined sheet pan, and cook for about 10-15 minutes until it dries out and is lightly toasted.
• Once the leeks and celery are tender, pour in the vegetable stock and teaspoon of vinegar. Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and roughly chop them and then add them to the pot. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until until the liquid evaporates, about another 10-15 minutes.
• Once the bread is toasted, remove it from the oven and set aside. When the liquid in the pot has cooked down, turn off the heat (at this point you could stop if you are making this dish a day ahead of time). Mix in the cubed bread, thyme, sage, rosemary, chickpea brine and mushroom liquid. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the ingredients to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cook for 20 minutes covered, and then 20-25 minutes uncovered so the top gets slightly browned and crispy.
• Remove from the oven and garnish with thyme and rosemary sprigs and chopped parsley.