Baked Butternut Squash and Apple Stuffing

This simple butternut squash, apple, and challah stuffing is made from fresh ingredients and baked right in the oven. The best fall side dish for any occasion!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Kosher

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings servings

Calories 305kcal

Author Alana Lieberman

Cost $15

Equipment

Ingredients

½ pound challah bread (5 cups ½ inch cubes) about half a loaf
½ cup pecan halves
1 medium butternut squash (4 cups ½ inch cubes) peeled and seeded
1 granny smith apple (2 cups chopped and peeled) or any variety
1 yellow onion (2 cups diced)
3 celery ribs (1 cup sliced)
2 leeks (4 cups sliced) white part only
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup dried cranberries
5 fresh sage leaves minced
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves only
14.5 ounces low sodium chicken broth (1 can)
½ cup turkey gravy or additional chicken broth
4 large eggs beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
Cube the bread into ½ inch cubes. Roughly chop the pecans. Add bread and pecans to a sheet pan and toast in the oven for about 15 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and increase the temperature to 350 degrees F.
Chop the butternut squash into ½ inch cubes, apples, onion, celery, and leeks. Place the leeks in a colander and wash them thoroughly, as they are usually very sandy and dirty.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Add in the leeks, apples, celery, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook until they start to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the apple and onion mixture from the heat. In a large bowl, combine toasted bread, pecans, dried cranberries, herbs, and the squash. Add the cooked apples, onions, leeks, and celery
Toss to combine all of the ingredients in the bowl. Pour in chicken broth, gravy, and eggs. Toss again to coat everything.
Scoop out into the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
After the time is up, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, remove the foil, and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the stuffing has set, is golden brown, and no longer wet on top.

Notes

What is challah? Challah is a braided Jewish egg bread that's airy in texture and slightly sweet in flavor. You can find it in the bakery section of your local grocery store or at a Jewish bakery. Make sure to buy a whole loaf of challah, not a pre-sliced loaf. If you can't find challah, use any loaf of bakery bread.
What are leeks? Leeks are part of the onion family with a slightly milder flavor. They look like large green onions (or scallions) and can be found in the produce aisle of the grocery store. Make sure to slice the leeks, separate the layers, and wash them thoroughly.
Turkey gravy gives the stuffing that delicious poultry flavor without being stuffed inside a turkey! If you don't have turkey gravy, use extra broth instead.
If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried.
See notes in the above post for instructions on how to freeze and make this stuffing ahead of time.
For a vegetarian stuffing: Instead of using chicken broth and turkey gravy, opt for vegetable broth.

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