Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
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
Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!
What dish makes it seem like Thanksgiving for you? How do you make it healthy?
Coconut Milk Irish Cream Recipe
»
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