As seen on TV-Healthier and Kid-friendly Stuffing Recipe the Whole Family will Love (2024)

The whole Family will love this Healthier and Kid-friendly Stuffing Recipe. I’m including all my favorite tips and tricks to make this the easiest and yummiest healthy stuffing recipe, including ways to make it gluten-free, vegetarian, or keto-friendly.

Wanna know a secret?

You’ve got to promise not to tell my mom.

Ok ready?

I never really liked Thanksgiving Stuffing. My mom always made her favorite family recipe that included lots of wild rice and lots of mushrooms and veggies.

Not the most kid-friendly dish.

But now as an adult, I can make my own stuffing…packed with things that I really like (such as bone broth and veggies)….and leave out the things I know my kids don’t like…such as mushrooms.

How to get rich flavorful Thanksgiving Stuffing

The key to rich flavorful Thanksgiving Stuffing that tastes just like you cooked it in the bird itself is using bone broth.

Bone broth is richer, healthier, and more flavorful than regular stock or broth because it’s cooked longer so it absorbs more protein and collagen from the bone.

One of my favorite brands is Lono Life. It was designed by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts looking for a healthier way to enjoy broth on the go.

Their bone broth comes in convenient dehydrated packets, so all you need to do is add boiling water and you’re good to go!

What is the perfect Bread to Veggie Ratio for Non-Soggy Stuffing?

The second key to the perfect stuffing is using the correct ration of bread to veggies.

I recommend using 2 parts bread to 1 part veggie.

Remember—Bread is the Binder-so if you add too many veggies, the stuffing will fall apart and have a runnier consistency.

How much broth should I use?

I recommend cooking your veggie mix with 2 cups of broth. However, when you add it to the bread base, do it slowly. Pour half a cup of liquid at a time as you toss the bread. You want all the bread to get wet but you don’t want the liquid to pool in the bottom of the casserole dish.

How do I prepare the bread for the stuffing?

To prepare the bread for the stuffing, simply cut the bread into cubes and lay it out on a baking sheet. Dry it out in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 250 degrees. You just want the bread dry-NOT toasty. This will allow it to absorb moisture without getting soggy.

Recipe for Healthier Kid-friendly Stuffing

Feel free to use whatever kind of bread you like. I personally like to use half corn bread and half French bread, but you can use gluten-free bread or anything you like.

Ingredients

Note: This list of ingredients is enough to fill a medium sized casserole dish and feeds 4 people. Increase the recipe accordingly if you have more people.

• 1 loafcornbread
• 1 loafFrench bread
• 1 wholelarge onion Or 2 medium onions, diced
• 5 stalkscelery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 bunchparsley, chopped
• Any extra veggies you might want to add
• Olive oil to saute the veggies
• 2 cupsprepared LonoLife Bone Broth of your choice, more if needed for moisture
• 1/2 teaspoon\dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoonground thyme
• 1 Tablespoonfresh rosemary, finely minced
• Salt And Pepper

Directions:

1. Cut all the bread into 1-inch cubes and lay them out on sheet pans. Cover with a dish towel and let them dry out for 24-48 hours until they’re dry and crisp. Or dry them out in the oven for 20 -25 minutes at 250 degrees.
   1. Sautee the onions and celery with olive oil for about 4 minutes.
   2. Boil 2 cups of water and mix with 2 packets of Lono Life Bone Broth. Add the broth, red bell pepper, parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper to the onion mix and stir.
   3. Put all the bread cubes in a large bowl and slowly ladle in the broth veggie mixture, tossing as you go until the dressing has the moisture level you want. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.
   4. Pour the dressing into a large casserole pan. Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees until golden and crisp on top.

Looking for more great Thanksgiving recipes?

Check out these great articles. They’re packed with time-saving tips and creative flavors you’ll family will love!

1. Low-fat Pumpkin Protein Muffins
2. Healthy Harvest Pumpkin Mac and Cheese (includes riced cauliflower!)
3. Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
4. Classic port-wine cranberries
5. Grandma’s Famous Chocolate Meringue Pie

And finally… once everything’s in the oven. Sit back, relax, and watch a nice movie. Check out my favorite Thanksgiving themed movies for some ideas.