kale apple and sage croissant stuffing
Do you call it stuffing or dressing? Stuffing for me, cos I’m about to stuff this shit in my mouth waddup.
My mom makes legit the best stuffing. Honest to fuck, I eat handfuls before it even bakes (we don’t use eggs, so it’s okay to do that). The bready mainstay is probably my favorite Thanksgiving side; no matter what walk of dietary experimentation I found myself in, I always accept a heap of her stuffing. This year is no different.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side? We’ve plenty around these parts: creamy herb mashed potatoes, sweet n’ savory sprouts, buttery pumpkin brioche rolls (another nod to our tradition of making rolls)…So much to choose from. Good thing they make bigass plates.
As with anything, though, I always need to one-up the classic, and this Kale Apple and Sage Croissant Stuffing comes damn diggity close. Buttery toasted croissants receive a hearty, aromatic filling touched by the sweetness of honeycrisp apples. The kitchen smells of pure Thanksgiving thanks to a big helping of herbs, including sage, and lots of garlic. Easily feeds a big crowd, but maybe don’t count on leftovers. A craving for seconds is likely.
Mm mm mm mm m, Toasty.
Pre-toasting the croissants is useful to help them hold up to the juicy filling we’re going to provide.
As for how many croissants you need, this depends on how big the dudes are. I buy mine from Trader Joe’s and those are pretty gargantuan: two 3-packs is good enough for me, but if you buy smaller croissants, you will likely need 8-10 to make an ample amount.
In addition, you can slice the croissants as large or small as you please. I like bigger chunks because the flakiness of the bread might make them shred if sliced too big. I’d say 1-inch thickness is a good guideline.
Throw the cubes on a baking sheet and arrange some butter overtop. Bake until they’re lightly golden.
Kale Me Now!
Not maybe. Uncertainly ain’t allowed here. Gotta be assertive, man.
Grab your skillet and melt an ass ton of butter. Then, stir in your fragrant army: onion, celery, carrots, apples, garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Let them chill in the butter for awhile, then stir in the kale.
I chose a layering style for the stuffing to ensure every bite gets a little bit of everything. Kinda like building a bread lasagna. Start with the filling, then add some croissants, more filling, croissants, filling, croissants, and finish with a final spritz of the filling.
Pour some veggie broth over everything, cover with foil, and gentlemen, start your ovens! After awhile, take the foil off and check the moisture. Mine was okay with the amount of broth I initially used, but if yours looks dry at all, add a bit more broth to resaturate.
Bake uncovered for awhile to give the croissants a nice final crunch. Then, dive right in!
A question some of you might have regards my lack of eggs in this stuffing. Like I mentioned, my mom never used eggs to bind the dish, so I do not call for them here. The real benefit is if you want your stuffing to bind. If you prefer that style, don’t layer your filling and croissants. Instead, set everything in the biggest bowl you own and toss with 3 lightly beaten eggs. Spread into the casserole dish and continue as directed.
Want this vegan? Find yourself some vegan croissants (many vegan bakeries exist, and I bet some of them have some slamming croissants) and use a vegan stick-style butter. Boom, vegan stuffing.
One final note before I shut my face up and let you get on with your lives: yes, you can prep this ahead. Assemble it all the way until just before baking, then cover and throw in the fridge for up to a few days ahead. Makes Thanksgiving a touch easier, right?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Check out the rest of my Thanksgiving recipes here!
kale apple and sage croissant stuffing
Ingredients
- 6-8 day-old croissants, torn
- 12 tbsp salted butter
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup carrot, diced
- 2 medium honeycrisp apples, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 cups Tuscan kale, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2-2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Spread the croissants onto a large baking sheet. Dollop 2 tablespoons of the butter evenly among them. Toast for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining 10 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium. Stir in the celery, onion, carrot, apple, garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Cook until the veggies and apple soften, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the kale for another 2-3 minutes until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Layer 1/3 of the filling on the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread 1/3 of the toasted croissants on top. Repeat until all filling and croissants are used. Pour 1 1/2 cups of broth evenly over the stuffing.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and check for moisture: if the croissants look too dry, add 1/4 cup of broth at a time until moistened. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the croissants are golden and toasty. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve!
