Description
These Stuffing Muffins are a delicious twist on traditional stuffing, perfectly portioned into muffin cups for easy serving. Featuring savory sausage, sweet apples, cranberries, and crunchy pecans, they make a flavorful side dish perfect for holiday meals or any comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk pork sausage
- 4 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1 package (14 ounces) crushed corn bread stuffing
- 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 package (5 ounces) dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 to 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the muffins.
- Cook Sausage: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bulk pork sausage until it’s no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Drain any excess fat and transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add the cubed butter and sauté the chopped celery and onions until tender and translucent, approximately 5-7 minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl with sausage.
- Combine Ingredients: To the bowl, add the crushed corn bread stuffing, peeled and chopped apples, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine all ingredients uniformly.
- Add Broth: Gradually stir in 2 to 3 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth, adding enough to achieve your desired stuffing moisture—moist but not soggy.
- Mix Eggs and Baking Powder: In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and baking powder until combined. Add this mixture to the stuffing bowl and mix thoroughly to incorporate evenly.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Grease 18 muffin cups and spoon the stuffing mixture evenly into each cup, filling them completely.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and the muffins are heated through.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and cool the muffins for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each muffin cup to loosen the muffins, then serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of broth to get the consistency you prefer; less broth will make denser muffins, more broth will make them softer.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the sausage with cooked mushrooms or plant-based sausage alternatives and use vegetable broth.
- These muffins can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes before serving.
- Storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator will keep them fresh for up to 3 days.
- Adding fresh herbs such as sage or thyme can enhance the flavor profile of these stuffing muffins.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
