Gluten Free Stuffin’ Muffins

Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, these gluten free stuffin’ muffins are the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving plate!  

Years ago I saw Rachael Ray on the Food Network make these awesome looking stuffin’ muffins. They were basically scoops of stuffing that were baked in a muffin pan. So each person got their own “scoop of stuffin” or “stuffin muffin.”  

I thought they were so clever and I was really hooked on the idea.  I never really cared for stuffing, probably because almost every stuffing I ever had was “laced” with onions and peppers. Since I LOATHE onions and peppers, I never bothered with stuffing. I do admit, though, that stuffing has always smelled wonderful!

WHAT MAKES STUFFING SO GOOD?

Sage is the seasoning I think of most when I think of Thanksgiving.  And any good stuffing MUST have sage. And also poultry seasoning. When it comes to adding other things to stuffing, I’m a purist and don’t like all the extra “stuff” in stuffing. I already mentioned that I despise onions so those are out, and I’m not into anything crunchy in my stuffing either.

But I know nearly all the other people in the world like onions. And peppers. And that’s perfectly fine. This is just a basic recipe that can be tailored to your own particular tastes.  In other words, add anything you’d like!

TAKING SHORTCUTS

Getting everything prepared for Thanksgiving can be so daunting, especially for those of us who have to make most of our own stuff from scratch. So any time we can take shortcuts is welcome. 

I used to try to make stuffing using my own gluten free artisan bread, but making my own bread just to make my own stuffing was too much work!! Considering we already have to make our own pie crusts and pies, rolls, etc, I think this is the absolute perfect time to take a shortcut.

I use Udi’s Soft Sandwich Bread for this stuffing because it tends to hold together really well.  In fact, sometimes it holds together too well for making sandwiches. Like to the point of the pieces sticking to each other. So I thought it’d work beautifully with these stuffin’ muffins and I was right! Feel free to use whatever bread you’d like.

DRYING THE BREAD

Cut up a whole loaf of Udi’s Soft Sandwich Bread (or any bread you’d like) into cubes and leave out on a wire rack to dry for about 2 days, or until it’s stale and hard. 

At this point, you can bag up the bread cubes (ziptop bag) and keep them on the counter for a few days, or put them in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

MAKING THE GLUTEN FREE STUFFIN’ MUFFINS

Once the bread cubes are dry enough, heat chicken stock and butter in a large Dutch oven or 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add herbs, spices, and bread cubes. Stir to moisten all of the bread cubes and then let it sit for a few minutes to allow the liquid to soak into the dried bread.

Using a large cookie or cupcake scoop, scoop up the stuffing and run it along the inside of the saucepan to “pack” it inside the scoop. Release the scoop into the muffin holes. Continue until all the stuffing is formed into muffins.

Bake the stuffin’ muffins at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until the tops are crunchy and lightly browned.

Add these gluten free stuffin’ muffins to your Thanksgiving table this year and get rave reviews!

Inspired by Rachael Ray’s Apple and Onion Stuffin’ Muffins