Savory Stuffing made in your crockpot to save space in the oven! Make-ahead this moist on the inside Apple Cranberry Stuffing with hints of sweet cranberries and tart apples with crunchy edges on the outside!
When you need show-stopping side dishes like this one you can also check out the Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans and Wild Rice Salad. (both are make-ahead friendly so you won’t be stressed while entertaining for the Holidays!)
Apple Cranberry stuffing is a delicious Midwest Stuffing for Thanksgiving. We have both dressing and stuffing at the holidays and there are several questions that come up when I make it. Today I’m going to share a time-saving method for making dressing and answer some of the most common questions when you make stuffing.
- What is the difference between dressing and stuffing?
- What is the best bread to use for stuffing?
- How do I make a Thanksgiving side dish without using the oven?
What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?
The components are the same but traditional stuffing is cooked inside of the turkey and dressing cooked in a dish. A lot of people use the words interchangeably.
At our house, we make both versions and we like the different qualities of each of them. Stuffing is usually much moister and wetter than dressing. The dressing is moist on the inside but tends to be a little crunchy on the edges where it is exposed to the heat more.
Both are delicious and compliment any protein you serve it with!
What are the Ingredients for a flavorful make-ahead dressing side dish?
- Homemade bread cubes (or boxed stuffing mix)
- Diced Apples – granny smith are tart and hold up well in the slow cooking
- Chopped Pecans- small bite sized pieces
- Celery Pieces
- Parsley
- Minced Onions
- Cranberry Pieces- you can use fresh, frozen or even dried cranberries-
- Poultry Seasoning
- Butter – salted butter
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
How to make your own bread cubes for Thanksgiving stuffing:
It’s super easy to make your own bread cubes for homemade stuffing. I used regular white soft bread for the photos you see here but you can use any bread you have. I like a mix of soft bread and a crusty French loaf.
Cut the bread into small cubes and place them on a baking sheet in your oven overnight to dry it out. (The oven is off, it’s just a way to keep the cubes off of the counter.) It’s way better than the boxed stuff at the market and you can control the seasonings in your recipe.
Sprinkle some poultry seasoning and salt over the top for added flavor.
By all means, if you are short on time a boxed package of dressing mix will work but if you have the time make your own. Your guests will love you!
How do you make Cranberry Crockpot Stuffing?
Making your stuffing in a crockpot or slow cooker saves valuable oven space for big holidays like Thanksgiving!
- Make your own bread cubes by cutting a french loaf into small cubes, dry them on a baking sheet and place them into the crockpot.
- Chop the ingredients into small bite-sized pieces.
- Sauce the onions and celery so they soften a little before you put them into the crockpot.
- Add the texture ingredients of cranberries, apples and pecans direct to the crockpot.
- Season with spices of parsley and poultry seasoning.
- Add melted butter and chicken stock to just barely moisten the bread.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours stirring a couple of times.
More Holiday Side Dish Recipes might enjoy:
- Jiffy Corn Cake Casserole is a great side dish or kids like it for a dessert!
- Air Fryer Green Beans with Crispy Onions – another recipe that doesnt need the oven!
- Homemade French’s Crispy Onions (Copycat) – so easy and homemade is always better!
- Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
- Garlic Sugar Snap Peas – easy skillet recipe !
We have so many delicious Thanksgiving Recipes- You can see them all here!
STAY CONNECTED ON SOCIAL SO YOU DON’T MISS OUT ON THE LATEST RECIPES TO MAKE ENTERTAINING BOTH STRESS-FREE AND DELICIOUS!
~ Instagram ~Pinterest~ Twitter~Facebook ~
FREE TIPS FOR ENTERTAINING WITH EASE AND FUN DELICIOUS RECIPES WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THE MAILING LIST BELOW THE RECIPE!
Apple Cranberry Slow Cooker Stuffing (dressing)
Savory Stuffing made in your crockpot to save space in the oven! Make ahead this moist on the inside Apple Cranberry Stuffing with hints a sweet cranberry and tart apples with crunchy edges on the outside!
Ingredients
- 12 cups bread cubes
- 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 3 cups apples, 1/2" dice
- 1 cup onion, minced
- 1/2 cup parsley, fresh, minced
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 3 stalks celery, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a skillet or the bottom of your crock pot if it is intended for sautéing too add olive oil and sauce onion and celery for 4 minutes
- Add bread cubes, celery, cranberries, apples, nuts, parsley, poultry seasoning, and sautéed onions and celery to the bottom of the crock pot. Stir to combine.
- Add melted butter evenly over the top of the bread mixture.
- Add the broth 1/2 cup at a time to just barely moisten the bread cubes. The amount you will use depends on how dry your bread is. Do not over wet it, the onions and celery will release more water and you want to have a moist stuffing, but you want a lot of the bread to hold its shape.
- Turn crock pot to high, cover and cook for 4-5 hours until edges are slightly crispy and center is moist. Stir several times while cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
8 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 340Saturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 488mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 5gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g
My recipe for Apple Cranberry Crock Pot Stuffing is one of over 200 recipes that are in celebration of Apple Week! (Check out my Apple Herb Baked Stuffed Pork Chops from yesterday!)
I’m not sure why we tend to only eat stuffing at Thanksgiving. It’s a comfort food classic that works with so many things and when the seasons change I love to make things that are toasty and warm.
MORE Delicious #appleweek Recipes
- 1-Pot Apple Sausage Meatballs by Books n’ Cooks
- ABC Sheet Pan Dinner by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Apple Bacon Goat Cheese Salad by Jonesin’ For Taste
- Apple Bourbon Float by Our Good Life
- Apple Butter Overnight Chia Oatmeal by Love and Confections
- Apple Cinnamon Layer Cake with Brown Butter Streusel by The Baking Fairy
- Apple Cornbread Cakelets by The Redhead Baker
- Apple Crumble Muffins by The Anthony Kitchen
- Apple Noodle Kugel by Palatable Pastime
- Caramel Apple Pie Dip by Mildly Meandering
- Apple Pie Donuts by Daily Dish Recipes
- Apple Pie Turnovers by The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Apple Pork Burgers by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Apple Cranberry Crock Pot Stuffing by West Via Midwest
- Baked Chai-Spiced Apple Chips by Culinary Adventures With Camilla
- Beet Apple Salad with Maple Vinaigrette by Caroline’s Cooking
- Butterscotch Harvest Cake by Tip Garden
- Caramel Apple Cookie Bars by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Caramel Apple Sheet Cake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake by Cookaholic Wife
- Cinnamon Caramel Apple Frozen Custard by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck
- Cold Apple Cider with Caramel Infused Rum by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Creamy Blue Cheese & Sliced Apple Crostini by Who Needs a Cape?
- Deconstructed Chocolate Caramel Mini Apple Pie by The Freshman Cook
- Deconstructed Skillet Apple Dumplings by Seduction in the Kitchen
- Fall Panzanella Salad by House of Nash Eats
- Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze by Soulfully Made
- German Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by Cooking With Carlee
- Glazed Spiced Apple Cider Cookies by Savory Moments
- Hasselback Apples by Kate’s Recipe Box
- PB Apple Muffins by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Skillet Apple and Sausage Stuffing Recipe by Lemon Blossoms
- Skinny Apple Crisp by The Saucy Fig
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter by Shockingly Delicious
- One Pan Pork Chops with Apples and Cinnamon by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Out of This World Apple Cake by Family Around the Table
27 Easy Savory Dressing and Stuffing Recipes for 2024 - Grits and Pinecones
Tuesday 29th of October 2024
[…] Savory Stuffing made in your crockpot to save space in the oven! Make ahead this moist on the inside Apple Cranberry Stuffing with hints of sweet cranberry and tart apples with crunchy edges on the outside! Read More […]
Out of This World Apple Cake • Family Around the Table
Thursday 31st of March 2022
[…] Apple Cranberry Crock Pot Stuffing by West Via Midwest […]
Teresa
Sunday 18th of November 2018
When you say put the bread cubes in the oven overnight- is the oven on or hot all night? Confused in this step
Michele
Sunday 18th of November 2018
Teresa~. I'll make that more clear in the recipe card. Thanks- I put them in a cold/turned off oven. Placing them in the oven puts them away from the counters from anyone who comes by and snacks. ~m
Carlee
Sunday 30th of September 2018
I am definitely saving this for the holidays. I love that it doesn't have to go in the oven and that looks like such a delicious combination!
Michele
Sunday 30th of September 2018
Not using an oven is definitely a plus when coming up with Thanksgiving recipes! ~m
Wendy Klik
Tuesday 25th of September 2018
Great idea to use the crockpot. We all need extra oven space during the holidays.