Take stuffing to the next level with croissants instead of bread! This delicious croissant stuffing is sure to wow everyone at the table. Customizable and vegan!
Thanksgiving countdowns are still going strong in the Garlic Head house. Today we are rolling full steam ahead with a stuffing recipe guaranteed to knock the socks off of even the pickiest great aunt at the table.
I've mentioned that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but now it's important to elaborate that stuffing is in fact my favorite part of the meal. We have to eat something before pie time, right?
Truthfully, I know that when this dish is not actually prepared inside of a turkey it should be christened "dressing," but I prefer the more conventional name. It feels more festive, yes?
A twist on a classic
With juicy cranberries, hearty walnuts, and flavorful veggies and herbs, this stuffing is about as festive as it gets. The one slight adjustment: instead of bread, we're using day-old croissants!
How to Customize Croissant Stuffing
Croissants can be made vegan or gluten-free, if your diet necessitates this. They lend a slightly airy quality that most stuffing recipes lack, while still "sticking to your ribs" when paired with so many seasonal ingredients. Flaky and buttery, they are the perfect vehicle for sopping up the herb-infused veggie broth. This stuffing could become a main mean in itself.
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Drying out the croissants further in the oven allows them to maintain some structure while baked with all other ingredients. This process is rather quick! It's best served warm of course, and feel free to substitute other ingredients that fit your preferences.
Pecans could work in place of the walnuts, and dried cranberries could be substituted for fresh. I garnished this with parsley but sage works just as well!
If you make this for Thanksgiving (or any day, really) please be sure to tag @garlic_head or leave a comment telling me what you thought!
Croissant Stuffing
Ingredients
- 6 large day-old croissants torn into chunks (or 8 cups cubed bread)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3-4 stalks celery diced
- 15 oz sliced white mushrooms optional
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup vegan butter or butter of choice
- 4 small cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups kale torn and washed
- 1 cup fresh cranberries rinsed
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 TBS chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth
- 3 TBS milled flax seeds + 6 TBS water set aside ("flax eggs"), optional
- 1 cup vegan cheese for sprinkling optional
- Parsley for garnishing optional
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 350 degrees and place torn croissants into an oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Let toast in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove from oven and heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion and celery and saute for 7 minutes until slightly translucent. Add mushrooms and let sit for a few minutes without stirring (they will release a lot of liquid). Add a few pinches of salt and pepper and stir.
- Now add butter, garlic, walnuts, sage, oregano, kale, and cranberries. Mix thoroughly. Add vegetable broth and flax egg.
- Arrange your croissants in a flat layer in the baking dish. Carefully ladle/pour the mushroom mixture on top of the croissants, trying to saturate each piece and leave a few poking out (see photos for reference). Add a sprinkle of dairy-free cheese, if desired.
- Cover entire dish with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes so that croissants brown. Garnish with parsley and more cranberries. Serve hot.
Deborah says
I looked at this recipe last year and forgot to bookmark it. So this year, I tried to find it and could not. Now, the day after Thanksgiving, I found it again. So am printing it out and saving it for Christmas stuffing. Thank you I love love love your blog.
Emily says
Thank you so much, Deborah! I really appreciate that! - Emily 🙂