Quick Stuffing

This stuffing is moist, flavorful, and easy. You can use almost any type of bread except French or Italian. We like to use a good whole-grain bread, but feel free to experiment with different varieties.

You can turn this recipe into a stand-alone meal by adding the optional frozen mixed veggies.

Ingredients

• 6 slices Whole-grain sandwich bread
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped or grated
• 1 Vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 cup Water
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Sage
• 1/2 tsp Crushed rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Marjoram
• 1/2 Red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 Green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 Large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 bag Frozen mixed vegetables (optional)

Instructions

1. Toast the bread slices. If you use a toaster oven, leave all of the slices inside the still warm (but off) oven to continue drying out while you perform the next few steps.
2. Heat the water, bouillon, and spices in a sauce pan. Cover and simmer on low.
3. Chop the fresh vegetables. Defrost the frozen veggies (if using).
4. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven, and add the onion, carrots, celery, and defrosted veggies (if using).
5. Chop the toasted bread into 1/2-inch cubes.
6. When the onions are translucent, add the bread and peppers. Mix well.
7. Pour the stock over the bread and vegetables, and mix thoroughly.
8. Cover and cook on very low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tips

• We recommend Morga bouillon cubes. They have great flavor and no creepy chemicals.
• The longer you cook the stuffing, the better it will be, up to about an hour. Just be sure to keep the heat low enough to avoid scorching the bottom, and add a little water if the stuffing seems dry when you stir it.
• If you use the mixed frozen veggies, you can skip the carrots and save a little chopping. We recommend that you keep the fresh celery though, because stuffing just doesn't taste the same without it.
• Grating the carrots instead of chopping them helps moisten the stuffing as it cooks and adds a nice texture.
• Avoid using any kind of white bread. It tends to turn to mush when you cook it.

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes