Cranberry stuffing

OMG a real food post.

I looked at several recipes for stuffing, then just made my own based on the methods I found there.

Ingredients:
toasted bread cubes
cranberries
onion
celery
garlic
chicken broth
spices: sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper

I started with about half a loaf of store-bought bread, cut into cubes and toasted on cookie sheets.  Then I softened the cranberries in simmering water on the stove.

 

One of the recipes I looked at said to drain the berries, and I did so, but I kept the water.  It's bright red and really yummy.  I might mix it with other juices, or make some kind of fruity spiced cider sometime.  Right now it's in mason jars in my fridge, looking very festive indeed.

Mix the reduced cranberries with the bread cubes.

My mixture was a little too large for the Pyrex dish, so I expanded into the pie plate.  [Sorry for the poor quality photos.]

Next, I sauteed a medium onion, two celery stalks, and two cloves of garlic in about a tablespoon of butter, just until softened.  I probably should have started with just onions and garlic, and let them fully brown.

Then I added the chicken broth (of which I only had about two cups; more would have been better) and the spices to taste.  I poured this mixture over the bread cubes and mixed together.  This did not yield the desired consistency; it was too dry, so i added some water.  Then the pans went into the 350 degree oven for, oh, I dunno, maybe half an hour.

When they came out, they were the right consistency, but didn't have much flavor.  I think they need some kind of meat (chicken, sausage, turkey) and more fat in order to get that awesome stuffing flavor.  Using more broth instead of water would also have helped.  Were I making this with a roasted bird, I'd use the drippings to boost the flavor.  As it is, I will certainly eat it, but probably only with a more flavorful main dish.