It was Thanksgiving, and the stuffing stuck in my throat. Dry. Traditional. Blah.

My kids refused to eat it. I picked at the required “one bite.”

Stuffing is a staple dish at every Thanksgiving dinner, but if your family is tired of the usual version (or the Stouffer’s version), this fruit and nuts cornbread sausage stuffing might be just what you’re craving! It has an unexpectedly sweet taste with the dried apricots and a slightly crunchy bite thanks to the nuts.

Even if you’ve never been a big fan of stuffing, this recipe tastes amazing.

This Thanksgiving, try something new with this low-fat stuffing recipe!

Fruit and Nut Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy-free margarine
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 cup dried apricots, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
2 cups celery, chopped
1 pound turkey sausage, crumbled
3 cups cornbread, crumbled
4 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup pecans, hazelnuts or slivered almonds, chopped and lightly toasted

Instructions:

Place 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook the onions in the butter 5 minutes or until tender.

Place the apricots and the celery into the pan. Continue cooking 8 minutes or until the celery is fork tender. Remove from the pan and place in a mixing bowl.

Add the remaining butter into the saucepan and allow melting. Add the sausage. Cook 8 minutes or until the sausage is browned. Place the sausage into the apricot mixture.

Place the cornbread into the mixture. Sprinkle in the thyme, parsley, and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth and stir until the cornbread is completely moistened. Fold in the nuts.

Heat the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Spread the mixture into the baking dish evenly. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake 35 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy!

Note: This recipe calls for nuts, but we have food allergies in our house, so I sometimes skip that step if the kids will be eating it. I’ve also used dairy-free butter and the recipe still tastes great!