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"Cornbread" Paleo Thanksgiving Stuffing {Grain Free, Dairy Free}

This savory and sweet "cornbread" Paleo Thanksgiving Stuffing is for all of you who want to keep with clean but still crave some bread in your stuffing!  A grain-free, dairy-free sweet potato bread is cubed and baked with sausage, apples, celery and onion, mushrooms, pecans and herbs for a delicious, filling and healthy Thanksgiving stuffing reminiscent of the classic.
Author: Michele Rosen
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Holiday Side Dish
Cuisine: dairy-free, Gluten-free, grain free, Paleo
Servings: 10

Ingredients

Bread:

Stuffing:

  • 3/4 lb pork sausage or turkey sausage, casings removed if necessary
  • 2 Tbsp plus more as needed ghee or preferred cooking fat
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 1 onion medium, chopped
  • 1 cup white mushrooms chopped
  • 1 pink lady apple chopped
  • 1/3 cup pecans chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp organic poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp ground sage or 2 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 6 Tbsp or more turkey or chicken bone broth
  • 1 bread recipe cooled, cubed, and allowed to sit for at least an hour*

Instructions

For The Bread:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8" baking pan with parchment paper.    

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, eggs, honey or maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil.

  3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until fully combined, then spread the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 25 minutes or until set and beginning to brown.  

  4. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 1" cubes.  You can make this the day before and let the bread cubes dry overnight, or, toast them on a large baking sheet prior to using for the stuffing. 

For the Stuffing:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Heat a large skillet (cast iron/ovenproof is ideal) over med to med-hi heat and add the 2 Tbsp cooking fat. Once heated, add chopped onion and celery and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened.



  2. Add the ground sausage to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to break up lumps and stir as it cooks. Cook the sausage with the onions and celery until browned, lower heat to medium.
  3. Add the mushrooms, chopped apples and pecans and cook for a couple of minutes until just softened. Now add the salt, poultry seasoning and sage. Lower the heat and stir to combine all flavors. Simmer for 2 more minutes, remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.

  4. After the stovetop mixture cools enough to handle, toss it with the bread cubes, broth and whisked eggs.  Transfer the stuffing to a large baking dish coated with a thin layer of coconut oil, and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until toasty brown.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Alternatively, you can lightly toast the cubes in the oven

**Prep time does not include cooling time for the bread

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal
Carbohydrates: 12g
Protein: 13g
Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 122mg
Sodium: 289mg
Potassium: 306mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 5g
Vitamin A: 2890IU
Vitamin C: 5.1mg
Calcium: 66mg
Iron: 1.7mg