Stuffing is such a part of Thanksgiving for so many people (me included), but I’ve never loved the boxed, processed stuffing mixes that just seem bland and mushy. Sure, there are some decent store-bought options, but they tend to be more pricey and I love creating new takes on classic recipes using seasonal and local ingredients.
Grain-Free Stuffing
A few years ago, I had the idea to use seasonal root vegetables like turnips and sweet potatoes as a base for a “stuffing” and experimented with different mixtures and ratios until I found this one. It is hearty, nourishing, and a beautiful addition to a Thanksgiving table!
This grain free stuffing is better when cooked outside the bird, and can easily be prepared a day or two ahead of time and reheated in a 9×13 baking dish to save time on Thanksgiving Day. The leftovers can actually be breaded in coconut flour and pan-fried to make a “bread” for leftover turkey sandwiches.
If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year, why not serve a meal with as much nutrition as it has taste?
Savory Grain-Free Stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 lbs turnips
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 TBSP garlic powder
- 1 TBSP dried sage
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 lb sage pork sausage optional
- 3 large onions
- 5 ribs celery
- 8 oz fresh button mushrooms
- 1 apple
- ½ cup tallow (or lard, ghee, or coconut oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Peel turnips and sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch cubes.
- Grease 2 large baking sheets with oil and evenly spread the turnips and sweet potatoes in them.
- Sprinkle with some of the garlic powder, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, turmeric, pepper and salt and toss with your hands.
- Put into oven and bake for about an hour until they are soft and starting to brown, tossing a few times to brown evenly.
- While the turnips and sweet potatoes are cooking brown the sausage if you are using it.
- When sausage is cooked, remove from pan, leaving drippings.
- While the sausage is cooking, finely dice the onions and celery.
- Add the onion and celery to the pan once the sausage has cooked. You might need to add more oil.
- Dice the mushrooms and peel and dice the apple
- Add the mushrooms and apple to the pan once the onions and celery have started to soften.
- Continue cooking until all are cooked.
- Return sausage to the pan and add more of the above spices to your taste.
- Remove from heat.
- Once turnips and sweet potatoes are done, mix with the sausage/onion/celery/apple/mushroom mixture and continue mixing until well incorporated and starting to clump together.
- Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish and warm in oven if serving immediately or put in refrigerator, covered, if using later.
Notes
Nutrition
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What dish makes it seem like Thanksgiving for you? How do you make it healthy?
I made this two years ago. It was delicious and tasted just like regular stuffing. It makes a large amount. I came here to find the recipe again because I am making it again this year. Thank you so much for creating this recipe. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I’m glad I can enjoy stuffing w/out grains involved.
Hey Wellness Mama, we have our own stuffing recipe and I’m looking for something to replace the cornbread we use in it. Any suggestions?
Maybe try making a dry almond flour bread? Similar texture at least…
Is that 1 teaspoon dried or fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano??
Dried, I usually double it if using fresh, but spice to your own preference…
Just checked this out for this year. So great to have alternatives! I’ve never heard of a 2 pound turnip, though. Could it have been a rutabaga?
This is my second time making this recipe. Once for Thanksgiving and tonight because we have a spare turkey. It is SO good, it was a total hit and I will be making it every year. Thank you!
This was a total hit at our Thanksgiving this year. I’m the only person in my “friends/family” that does not want grains in my life so I had to make a few staples to bring so I could be happy. This stuffing was gone so fast and eaten by all.
And…I did not have all the seasonings and neither did the one grocer I tried…so I added your synergistic blend. Amazing.
This looks like an interesting recipe — I would like to make a lot smaller quantity. Would you say you use about equal amounts of turnip and sweet potato?
yep 🙂
Katie, this was sooo delicious! Didn’t even miss the bread stuffing. And I noticed that it seemed to go pretty quickly at our Thanksgiving buffet table. Cranberry sauce was delish too, though I did add a bit more honey. Thanks so much for posting these recipes.
Mmm this looks so yummy!
I can not wait for this!! Stuffing is the best, I was bumming about not having it this year…not any more. Thanks so much, your site is so helpful!
the guy in the pic looks like Ryne Renolds lol