Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing with Mushrooms

This Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving is a family favorite. Made with caramelized onions, mushrooms and pecans, this stuffing is on a level of its own. 

My mom used to start cooking her Thanksgiving stuffing at least a week before the holiday. The scent of caramelized onions and fresh herbs would drift through our house for days.

The whole week, I could always smell Thanksgiving as I'd walk down our block on my way home from school.

The cooking, tasting, and adjusting didn't end until after the Thanksgiving feast.

My mom would add something to her Thanksgiving stuffing daily for the whole week! After each new ingredient, we would all taste and say how delicious it was.

Those positive reviews, however, did not stop my mom from making subtle changes until the very last moment. And somehow it just got better and better.

Time marches on, though, and now I am the main cook for the family's Thanksgiving feast. And I make my own stuffing (and admittedly, I don't spend a full week on my version).

This is essentially my mom's "recipe" (that was only recorded in her head), except she made hers with bagels. Delicious! I use gluten-free cornbread because my son has Celiac Disease.

And each time I begin this recipe, when I sauté the onions and add the fresh herbs, the oh-so-amazing aroma brings me right back to every other Thanksgiving.

Ingredient notes

• your favorite gluten-free cornbread - I use my Gluten-Free Cornbread with Jalapeños (pictured above). This recipe will work with just about any cornbread.
• onion - Yellow onions are best for this stuffing. Choose onions that are firm and heavy for their size.
• celery - Celery adds the perfect fresh subtle crunch to the stuffing. Choose firm stalks without bruises.
• mushrooms - This recipe calls for Crimini mushrooms. White Button mushrooms will also work well. If you want to get fancier with Shiitake or Oyster mushrooms, go for it.
• fresh sage and rosemary - The scent and flavor of sage and rosemary make their way into every bite of this stuffing. Always choose fresh herbs that are perky without yellow areas.
• sherry - The combination of sherry and mushrooms is nothing short of magical! Substitution: If you don't want to cook with alcohol, you can replace it with more of the stock.
• pecans - Pecans add a delicious maple-like flavor and an excellent crunch.
• vegetable, chicken or turkey stock - Use sodium-free or low-sodium, whichever one you use.

How to Make Gluten-Free Stuffing with Cornbread

- Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare the fresh herbs.

- Cut the cornbread into bite-sized pieces. Place them on a sheet pan and toast until they're dry and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

- While the cornbread is toasting, coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it's soft, about 7 minutes. Then add the celery and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and a bit more olive oil if necessary. Sauté the mushrooms until they are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Then mix in the fresh herbs.

- Turn the heat to low and deglaze the pan with the sherry, scraping any bits of onion, celery, and mushroom off the bottom of the pan and back into the mixture. Cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Mix in the pecans, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)

- Add the toasted cornbread to the mushroom mixture in a large mixing bowl. Gently mix to combine. Add the desired amount of stock to the stuffing. (If it's too wet, it will become mushy. Be careful and add a little bit at a time.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

- Before serving, heat stuffing in covered dish just until it's heated through, about 20 minutes at 350°F. For added crispness to the top, uncover the dish for the last 5 minutes or so.

Recipe Tips

• Typically, cornbread is much more crumbly than other (loaf) breads. Even once you've toasted your cornbread cubes, don't expect them to hold their shape.
• To keep this gluten-free, if you buy your own cornbread (or a mix), it's very important to read the labels. Just because it's made with corn flour doesn’t mean there aren’t other flours in the mix.

Making it Ahead

You can make this Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing ahead.

• You can do everything up to mixing the toasted cornbread and stock with the onion mixture. About an hour before serving, mix everything together and heat.
• And if you choose to make your own cornbread, you can make it up to 3 days ahead. Wrap it tightly in a couple of layers of plastic wrap, and keep it refrigerated. You can freeze it for up to 3 weeks, wrapping it the same way, but adding a Ziploc freezer bag.

More For Your Thanksgiving Menu

• Smoky Paprika Bacon Roasted Turkey
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries or Hazelnut Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts
• Butternut Squash with Date Butter
• Spiced Cranberry Sauce
• Rustic Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes
• Butternut Squash Pie with Gluten-Free Nut Crust

I hope you love this as much as my family and I do.

 

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