Low Carb Stuffing with Sausage and Goji Berries
Careful not to upstage the bird with this low carb stuffing with sausage and goji berries. Fresh herbs and homemade broth add to this flavor sensation.
Sometimes in life, you are thrown some happy accidents.
Like when you realize last minute that you are out of dried cranberries but you have goji berries.
Hence, the recipe.
I love goji berries especially, because they taste like candy to me. It’s the closest flavor to Swedish Berries candy without being candy. They aren’t low in carbs though, so you should eat them sparingly or avoid them if that matters to you.
You can use dried cranberries in this recipe to replace the goji berries, but be mindful as they are usually sweetened.
As a side note, goji berries help me get through the times when everyone around me is eating sweets. Like when the kids just come in from Halloween or a birthday party, for example. Instead of joining in, I have a few goji berries and I really savor them. I prefer to avoid those candies and chocolates, since I just can’t handle the refined sugar very well. Although tasty, it’s just not worth it in the end.
Now where were we?
Ah yes, turkey dinner.
If you love a meat stuffing, but also bread, then you will love this stuffing.
If you love bread, but not carbs or gluten, then you’ll really love this.
We use a low carb, gluten free loaf of bread (Carbonaut) to accomplish this feat.
You can stuff the turkey with this low carb stuffing, or even keep it out as a regular side dish.
That’s what we do, we serve it on the side and stuff the turkey with a variety of diced vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery, onion) instead. It’s up to you what you prefer!
We make this low carb stuffing for every Thanksgiving, Christmas and festive dinner.
Content in this Post
Ingredients in Low Carb Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Low Carb Bread — We used one loaf of (ends reserved, not used in this recipe)
- Honey Garlic Sausage — casings removed
- Red Onion — diced, red or you could use yellow or white onion.
- Garlic — fresh cloves, minced
- Celery — diced
- Chicken Broth — or turkey giblet stock if you’ve made some, you can also sub vegetable broth.
- Goji Berries — dried, you can substitute dried cranberries.
- Thyme — fresh sprigs
- Sage — fresh
- Apple — diced
Optional Ingredients — You can add in other fresh herbs, like Rosemary and parsley, about a tablespoon or so, chopped finely.
How To Make Low Carb Stuffing
STEP 1 — Dice your low carb bread loaf into small cubes, spread on a lined baking sheet and bake until the bread becomes firm but not burnt. Keep a close eye after ten minutes, and up to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
STEP 2 — Meanwhile, on the stove top, brown the honey garlic sausage with onions, celery and garlic, until no longer pink and the vegetables have softened.
STEP 3 — Place the cooled, baked bread cubes into a large bowl and follow with the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour additional broth, as needed, little by little to your desired moisture level of stuffing.
What to Serve With Low Carb Thanksgiving Stuffing
Low carb Thanksgiving stuffing is the perfect addition to your special occasion turkey dinners. We love ours for Christmas as well, with the following dishes:
- Thanksgiving Turkey With Bacon
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Pineapple Sauce in Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash
Serve your favorite holiday vegetable side dishes, like green bean casserole and salads.
You can also make this any time of year and serve alongside your chicken dinners, or dinners with turkey breast, and many other main courses.
It’s easy enough to make, that you can incorporate it in a number of meals throughout the year.
Preparation and Storage Tips
You can prepare all or part of the recipe beforehand if you like. You can easily fry sausage with the vegetables and get that step out of the way. Or go ahead and combine it with the bread, stock and herbs and let it sit covered in your refrigerator.
You can reheat your low carb Thanksgiving stuffing in your oven, transferred to an oven safe baking dish, about twenty to thirty minutes before it’s needed. You might need to add some more broth if you find the stuffing to be dry, just add it little by little so that it does not oversaturate.
It’s recommended to let a turkey sit out for about twenty to thirty minutes after it’s cooked, before carving. That’s usually when we put our casserole dishes that need to reheat, in the oven for about twenty to thirty minutes. It’s perfect timing, to remove the turkey and free up the oven space for the dishes that need to be warmed up. That way, all of the dishes will be ready at the same time to serve.
Once you’ve got your low carb sausage stuffing made, it will last for about three days in the fridge, but has best flavor within one or two days.
You’ll Also Love
If you want to continue to defy the laws of carbs and gluten, this time in a seafood sandwich cake (what?!), here’s our go to festive sandwich cake (smörgåstårta) for special celebrations.
We love it for Easter, Mother’s Day, New Year’s Eve, birthdays, baptisms and more. It will no doubt make for a memorable brunch any time of year.
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Low Carb Stuffing With Sausage and Goji Berries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Loaf Carbonaut Bread, low carb, gluten free bread, diced
- 1 Pound Honey Garlic Sausage, casings removed
- 1 Red Onion, diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Stalks Celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon Sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Thyme, chopped
- ¼ Cup Goji Berries, dried
- 1 Cup Broth, use homemade, or prepared broth, plus more as needed, to use after cooking
Instructions
Bake Bread Cubes
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place diced bread cubes onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread evenly in one layer on the sheet, some overlap of bread is ok. Bake in oven for 20-30 min, or until firm. Keep a close eye on it after ten minutes to ensure it doesn't burn. Remove from oven, set aside to cool.
Prepare Sausage Mix Meanwhile Bread in Oven
- Meanwhile, brown sausage in a frying pan on the stove top. Use a handheld hamburger meat chopper to make this task easier.
- Add onions, garlic and celery and continue to stir fry until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
- Add goji berries, one cup of broth and fresh herbs. Continue to stir for a minute or two.
Combine Sausage Mix and Bread Cubes in Large Bowl
- Place bread cubes and sausage mix in a large bowl. Toss in the diced apples.
- Mix well to thoroughly combine. Add in more broth, little by little to your desired moisture level. Note: You don't want your bread to be too dry or soggy, so you will need to carefully test the amount of broth to ensure you have the right balance.
Reheat Before Serving if Necessary
- Transfer to oven safe casserole dish and place in oven 20-30 minutes before serving to reheat, if necessary.
Nutrition
Note
The above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide. If you are following a specific diet or have dietary restrictions, please use your preferred nutritional calculator. If you have a food allergy please ensure that none of the listed ingredients are part of your restrictions. As well, always use a food thermometer to ensure safe cooking temperature of the food items.
