A Fresh Take on Turkey

Tired of the same old stuffing turkey after turkey?  Here's our solution, a deliciously nutty, healthy alternative to the standard white bread version.  If you decide to try it, let us know what you think!

The Bunnery's Granola Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients

• 4 strips premium thick bacon, diced, about 4 ounces
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced green apple
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 3 cups cubed Bunnery Natural Foods O.S.M. bread (1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 cup Bunnery Natural Foods Original Granola
• 1 ounce chopped walnuts or pecans, approximately 1/4 cup
• 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 2 tablespoons julienne lemon peel
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken stock

Directions

Sauté or microwave the diced bacon until just crisp.  Drain and set aside.

Toss the onion and celery in a large, microwave-safe bowl with the oil and salt.  Place on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F. for 25 minutes.  Distribute the cubed O.S.M. bread over the vegetables, return to the oven, and finish roasting for an additional 10 minutes.

Return the vegetables and bread to the bowl and add the granola, green apple, bacon, walnuts or pecans, eggs, sage, lemon peel, parsley and black pepper. Heat the stock and add a cup or more to moisten well.  Combine thoroughly, by hand if needed, in order to break up the bread cubes and soften granola.  Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.

At this point, you can either roast the stuffing separately alongside the turkey or in the cavity.  If you choose to do the latter, a reusable organic cotton produce bag is a good, no fuss method:  place the stuffing while still hot in the bag, and place the bag into an oiled, seasoned, 10 to 12 pound turkey.  Otherwise, stuff the cavity (while the stuffing is still hot), place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in a preheated 400°F. oven for 45 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350°F. and continue cooking for an hour to an hour and a quarter or until internal temperature registers 170°F.