Spinach Mushroom Stuffing

I’ll be honest. I was never very fond of Thanksgiving dinner as a child. I didn’t really see what the big deal was, as most of the menu consisted of food I didn’t want to touch with a ten-foot fork. As I grew up, my taste buds changed, as did my diet, and Thanksgiving dinner is now of my favorite meals of the year. Stuffing was one of the dishes I used to loath, but as I’ve experimented with different ingredients, I’ve created a recipe that I now really love. I’m going to come right out and admit that I’ve eaten this for breakfast in the past.  

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. assorted mushrooms (like chanterelle, shitake, and crimini), sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 to 3 cups celery stalks, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 8 oz. baby spinach leaves
• 10 cups 1-inch cubes day-old bread with crust* 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cup vegetable broth (plus more, if stuffing is too dry)

Directions:

1. Heat olive in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sprinkle with a little salt. Sauté until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Remove mushrooms from heat and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Add onions and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add all herbs and sauté 1 minute longer. Add the spinach and toss until just wilted, about 1 minute. Add vegetables to bowl with mushrooms.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.
4. Lightly oil a 13” x 9” baking dish. Stir vegetable mixture into the bowl with the bread cubes. Add the broth, salt and pepper, tossing to combine even. Add more broth, ¼ cup at a time if the mixture seems to dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
5. Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve. 

*Use gluten-free bread to make the stuffing gluten-free. You can also cheat and use packaged stuffing, but make sure it’s vegan!

I’m submitting this recipe to Healthy Vegan Fridays and Gluten-Free Fridays.

 
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