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Sage Apple Cranberry Dressing ~ Herbaceous and fruity, the classic holiday dressing with a flirtytwist.
Oh it’s that time of year!
All my favorite foods begin to grace the table. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.
I know we should celebrate the arrival of those to a new land. We thank those pilgrims briefly but Thanksgiving has really morphed into a major food holiday.
I’m ok with that since I love to plan, prepare, cook, serve, and eat the traditional foods of this holiday.
I have been making family recipes for years now. I cooked my first turkey at 16 years old for my then-boyfriends family and been making them ever since.
While I love making my tried and true recipes, I occasionally have to play with a recipe and turn it all around.
It’s no secret that I love putting fruit in my savory dishes, so it seemed absolutely natural to add apples and cranberries to a holiday dressing (stuffing if you’re going to put it in the bird.)
I made this, and a friend heard about it and promptly stopped by to sample it, we both ate it cold the next day straight from the container. I was delicious but cold dressing is a favorite.
Course:Side Dish
Cuisine:American
Keyword:Sage Apple Cranberry Dressing, Stuffing
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 450 kcal
Author: Michelle De La Cerda
Herbaceous and fruity, the classic holiday dressing with a flirtytwist.
Ingredients
- 1lbbread12-16 oz when dried (see notes)
- 7tbspbutterdivided 5/2; melted
- 4ribs celerydiced
- 1cuponiondiced
- 3medium apples(medium sized), diced
- 1tspdried sage
- ⅛tspsalt+/- to taste
- ⅛tsppepper+/- to taste
- 1½tspgarlicminced/grated
- ¾cupdried cranberries
- ½cupwhite winewarmed; or use broth
- 1cuplow-sodium chicken brothwarmed; to desired consistency
US Standard – Metric
Instructions
Place the dried bread in a large bowl; set aside.
In a large sauté pan heated over medium high heat, melt the ⅓ cup (5 tbsp) butter.
Add the celery, onion, apples and sauté for about 4 minutes.
Add the sage, salt, pepper, garlic, and cranberries; mix well.
Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add the sautéed items to the bread in a large bowl; toss well.
Slowly add the warmed wine (or broth if omitting wine) and continue to mix.
Add the warmed broth, slowly mix it in. More or less broth can be used, it is to the desired wetness/consistency.
Taste for salt and pepper, add more if needed.
Add to a baking dish and pour the remaining 2 tbsp butter over the top, cover with foil and cook at 350° for 30 minutes.
Once it has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook an additional 5 minutes uncovered.
Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
I generally dry a fresh loaf of bread by removing it from the package, allowing it to sit out for a day, then continue to dry it in an oven that was heated to 350°F, turned off, then had the bread placed it in.
I have also torn fresh bread and allowed it to ‘stale’ in a paper bag for a couple of days.
Additionally, I have purchased bags for dried bread cubes from my grocery store bakery that are usually labeled 12 oz, which oddly makes about the same amount as a pound of freshly dried loaf bread.
Nutrition Facts
Sage Apple Cranberry Dressing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 450Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 575mg25%
Potassium 335mg10%
Carbohydrates 66g22%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 469IU9%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 122mg12%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
October 18, 2014 By Michelle De La Cerda
84
Dark Chocolate Raspberry PieFettuccine in a Creamy Butternut-Sage Sauce
About Michelle De La Cerda
Recipe developer, food travel writer, amateur photographer, food blogger, writer of random things, editor, tv watcher, book reader, mother and woman.
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84 Comments
Reply
Debra
October 20, 2014 at 12:04 pm
Mmmm!!!! This looks really good. I love the flavors of fall and this covers all the bases, can’t wait to give this a try.
Reply
Michelle
October 20, 2014 at 4:42 pm
Thank you Debra, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Reply
christine
October 20, 2014 at 1:57 pm
I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one with Thanksgiving on the brain already! Stuffing is one of my favorite side dishes. Love this one. I always love apples in mine too!
Reply
Michelle
October 20, 2014 at 4:42 pm
Thank you Christine. I can’t say for certain, but I think stuffing might be my favorite side dish.
Reply
Michelle
October 20, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Thank you FH! It was so good, I couldn’t stop eating it.
Reply
Healing Tomato
October 20, 2014 at 4:25 pm
Love this recipe and I am happy to see your new website doing so great! Your pics are spectacular!
Reply
See AlsoCinnamon Pinwheel Cookies Made with Leftover Pie Crust50 Retro Family Dinners That Deserve a Comeback20 Easy Recipes for Senior Nutrition | A Place for MomInstant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup - 365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure CookingMichelle
October 20, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Thank you…lots to learn.
Reply
Healing Tomato
October 20, 2014 at 4:26 pm
This recipe looks so great and your new website is perfect. Your pics are spectacular
Reply
Michelle
October 20, 2014 at 4:40 pm
Thank you HT! I am still getting the hang of it here…learning lots like why do all my comments go to spam first…little things like that.
Reply
Jamie H
October 20, 2014 at 7:42 pm
This dressing sounds fabulous! I picked up a huge bag of pomegranate Craisins at Costco today- I’ll have to try them in this! Yum!
Reply
Michelle
October 21, 2014 at 1:02 am
What are they pomegranate Craisins you speak of??? I must get them. They would be wonderful in this.
Reply
Carrie @ poet in the pantry
October 20, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Who needs the rest of the meal? Pass me the dressing, please! This looks fantastic!
Reply
Michelle
October 21, 2014 at 12:59 am
I’m right there with you Carrie! Thank you.
Reply
Kim - Liv Life
October 20, 2014 at 10:31 pm
I have never been a very good dressing maker, and it’s my father in law’s favorite part of Thanksgiving. I really need to give this one a go! Loving those cranberries and apples in the mix!
Reply
Michelle
October 21, 2014 at 12:59 am
Kim, I am with your FIL, it’s my favorite part too (well that and the pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, yams, oh and the turkey.) But it was also one of the first things I learned to make for this holiday meal so maybe that I why I love it so. Hope he will enjoy it (and you too.)
Reply
Sandra Shaffer
October 21, 2014 at 9:50 am
I always leave the dressing for my mom to make, but I think I’ll volunteer to bring it for Thanksgiving this year! Grest recipe!
Reply
Michelle
October 21, 2014 at 11:31 am
Thank you Sandra! It’s a simple one too…if you want to add meat, I’d recommend some pork sausage.
Reply
Dan from Platter Talk
October 22, 2014 at 8:23 am
What an incredibly great looking dressing you have put together; I can almost taste all the savory parts. Very nicely done, we are making this today’s Best of Show on Platter Talk.
Reply
Michelle
October 22, 2014 at 3:03 pm
Wow, thank you for that honor Dan!
Reply
Christina Lakey | Food Apparel
October 22, 2014 at 8:42 am
Oh man, I thought I’d already found the perfect stuffing and would never need another version ever again. But this sounds soooo good! Well, there’s always room for two, right?
Reply
Michelle
October 22, 2014 at 3:03 pm
I would be happy to attend a stuffing party, think of all the deliciousness that would be there!
Reply
Beth (OMG! Yummy)
October 23, 2014 at 5:49 pm
Ohhh – I love the idea of the warm white wine as as switch up from broth! Saying hi from CCN! Simple delicious recipe – thanks for sharing. I love thanksgiving too!
Reply
Michelle
October 24, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Thank you Beth for stopping by. I can’t let wine go to waste in my house! It was a nice flavor addition.
Reply
Betsy @ Desserts Required
October 23, 2014 at 7:44 pm
This is such a wonderful change from the traditional stuffing. Thanksgiving can’t come soon enough!!
Reply
Michelle
October 24, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Thank you Betsy! It was a tasty twist.
Reply
Michelle @ Healthy Recipe Ecstasy
October 24, 2014 at 7:21 am
This makes me so excited for the holidays! I could easily eat an entire meal of stuffing and leave the rest. 🙂
Reply
Michelle
October 24, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Haha, I understand and mostly agree! But then I’d see the green bean casserole, and yams, then pie…it’d never end.
Reply
Christine | No Gojis No Glory
October 26, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Michelle, you have no idea how excited I am anout this dressing!! I was just talking about a Thanksgiving menu today with a couple of friends, and I know what I’ll be bringing
Reply
Michelle
October 26, 2014 at 10:53 pm
Glad I could provide some inspiration!
Reply
Foodies Network » Sage Apple Cranberry Dressing
November 5, 2014 at 1:21 pm
[…] Sage Apple Cranberry Dressing […]
Reply
Sarah
November 8, 2014 at 8:47 am
how many servings does this make? Also how much butter? Looks delish!
Reply
Michelle
November 10, 2014 at 8:33 pm
Hi Sarah, for some reason, your comment ended up in the spam folder of my inbox. I’m sorry for that. The application I use for some reason dislikes the fraction 1/3. The amount is 1/3 cup. This made about 8 servings. Maybe a bit more if there are lots of other sides.
Reply
Angie
November 9, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Ok I don’t get the ? in front of the butter…… probably because I am not a butter eater…..Am I supposed do geuss the amount?…or go by taste?
Reply
Michelle
November 10, 2014 at 2:23 pm
Oh Angie, thanks for bringing this to my attention. For some reason the application I use to do recipes, does not like the fraction 1/3. So when I use a fraction it gives me a ? but when I look at it on my end, I see the actual fraction. The amount is 1/3 cup of butter.
Reply
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November 25, 2014 at 12:16 am
[…] ⇓CLICK HERE to make this […]
Reply
Joanne/WineLady Cooks
December 23, 2014 at 12:32 pm
I love all the flavors in your delicious Dressing. Perfect for the holidays!
Reply
Michelle
December 23, 2014 at 8:14 pm
Thank you Joanne, it’s a great soup for the winter.
Reply
Marcia
October 18, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Hi Michelle – looking for a changeup from our traditional cornbread stuffing. This sounds amazing! Do you think I could add 1 c broth and 1/2 c warm wine or do you think it all needs to be the same? Any bread suggestions? Sourdough, grain, etc? Could I use both types of bread together? Thanks!
Reply
Michelle
October 18, 2015 at 11:16 pm
I think it would work just fine with the ratios you gave. Mixing and matching is my style too. As far as bread, I used a mixture of whole wheat and county white, a thicker white bread, not like Wonder bread. I have never used sourdough, but I kinda want you to try it and let me know how it goes. 🙂
Reply
Beth
October 22, 2015 at 12:05 pm
This sounds delicious! My daughter has a dairy allergy – any thoughts on substituting olive oil for butter? Thanks!
Reply
Michelle
October 22, 2015 at 12:09 pm
0h yes, use olive oil.
Reply
Liz S
October 25, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Hi, was planning on making this tonight. How much bread stuffing (I have the already dried packages) do you think I would need to equal 1 loaf? Thanks! 🙂
Reply
Michelle
October 25, 2015 at 2:38 pm
How many ounces are the dried packages?
Reply
Lisa
October 29, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Hi! This sounds great! I always try to use slow cookers whenever possible. Do you think after I combine everything, I could plop everything in one instead of baking it? I was thinking on low for about 2-3 hours?
Thank you!
Reply
Michelle
October 29, 2015 at 3:15 pm
You know I have never made a stuffing in the slow cooker, but I don’t see why not. Mix it all together and put it, check after 2 hours. Let me know how it goes and I can update the directions. Good luck! 😉
Reply
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November 11, 2015 at 8:06 am
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Reply
allison
November 14, 2015 at 5:09 pm
for the sage/apple/cranberry dressing, can you use store bought bread cubes? If so, how much?
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 14, 2015 at 6:47 pm
Oh yes, those are just fine. I would get two bags, it might be just a bit under two full bags. But in my experience, one bakery bag of bread cubes is one loaf, but confirm with them.
Reply
Ashley
November 23, 2015 at 11:58 am
What kind of broth do you suggest? I can’t see my husband liking the wine nor do I think I would. I just don’t wanna use chicken broth and then it not taste right ect…recipe maker knows best! Haha
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 23, 2015 at 11:59 am
Thanks for asking. Chicken broth is what I suggest when omitting the wine.
Reply
Andrea
November 23, 2015 at 5:13 pm
hello! what kind of white wine would you use for this? and any suggestions on what type of apple work best? thanks!
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 23, 2015 at 5:16 pm
White wine is usually whatever I have on hand that is at least semi-dry. For the apple, I always use Jongold, Jonathan, Gala or Fugi. (And I probably spelled them all wrong!)
Reply
Jennifer Clark
November 21, 2018 at 5:18 pm
I know this is an old post, so you might not see it, but I was curious about using turkey stock instead of chicken broth…is there a reason for not using it vs chicken broth? Also, I’m not a sage fan at all! I was going to substitute poultry seasoning. Do you think that would work? I don’t want to ruin the dressing, or make it too salty. Also, I’m doubling the recipe, and I like my dressing more on the moist side, than dry. Suggestions? Thank you!!! I’m planning on putting it all together tonight and baking it in the morning, I don’t want it to dry out by sitting all night then reheating.
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 21, 2018 at 6:09 pm
Turkey stock is just fine, it won’t alter the flavor too much, same family of animal and all. 🙂 Poultry seasoning shouldn’t have any salt, it’s just a blend of herbs, with sage being the top herb, but yes, you could use, but slowly work it in and taste as you so you don’t over power the other flavors in the dressing.
Reply
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Jolene
December 18, 2015 at 1:13 am
Making this on Xmas day! Looks relish!
Reply
Alisa
March 5, 2016 at 5:52 pm
Sounds scrumptious! I’d like to try this recipe but could you specify the butter used in the saute and the remaining butter to be poured over the dressing before baking?
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
March 5, 2016 at 11:14 pm
Thanks for catching that I wasn’t clear with how much butter, where and when. I updated the recipe. 1/3 cup in the mixture and the 2 tbsp over the top.
Reply
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Aleasha
November 15, 2016 at 8:10 pm
Can I omit the celery? My husband is allergic to it. Any suggestions to a substitute it?
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 15, 2016 at 8:19 pm
You can substitute the celery for lovage, it has a celery-esque taste. However, it’s not always easy to find. If you can’t find it, just omit the celery.
Reply
Kathy
November 15, 2016 at 9:05 pm
Hi – this recipe sounds amazing. Do you think it would work stuffing the turkey? Has this been tried?
Kathy
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 15, 2016 at 10:55 pm
Oh yes, you can stuff this in the bird. Decrease the amount of butter you pour over the stuffing once it’s in the bird…or not and just pour it over the bird too. 🙂
Reply
Kayla
November 20, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Can you make this up the night before? If so, how long would you cook it? It sounds delicious and I can hardly wait to make this year.
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 20, 2016 at 10:27 pm
Yes, you can make it the night before! How would you reheat? Oven or Microwave?
Reply
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Reply
Theresa Meyer
November 22, 2016 at 9:26 am
I am hosting around 23 people for Thanksgiving this year, should I double the recipe? I’m also confused on the broth and white wine. Do I use the 1 cup broth AND 1/2 cup white wine or 1 cup broth OR 1/2 cup white wine?
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 22, 2016 at 11:59 pm
23! You’re amazing! Yes, double the recipe at least, maybe triple (but I come from a big stuffing eating family-and I have to have leftovers) You need 1 1/2 cups of liquid. I like the taste of wine in my food, so I used 1 cup of broth and then 1/2 cup of wine. However, there are lot of people who do not want to cook with wine, so I suggest subbing that wine for more warm broth.
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Heather Muser
November 20, 2018 at 11:43 pm
Could I use fresh cranberries (I have a ton and would like to use them!)
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 20, 2018 at 11:54 pm
Honestly, I have never tried it with fresh cranberries. If you want them sweetened, add the fresh to a sauce pan over medium heat, add 1/8 cup or so of sugar and cook them until they burst. If you don’t need the sweetened, do a rough chop with them and use. Please let me know how it goes.
Reply
Karen Davis
November 11, 2019 at 5:41 pm
How many does this serve? sounds delicious.
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 26, 2019 at 3:02 am
Sorry for the delay Karen, you got filtered to my spam box. This would serve 6-8.
Reply
Scott
November 25, 2019 at 11:54 am
I made this before and everybody loved it! Now need to re-calibrate…how many would this feed at the above quantities?
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 26, 2019 at 2:58 am
I’m so happy to hear you’ll making the recipe again. This would feed around 6 hungry people or even 8 hungry people that have a lot of other things on their plates too.
Reply
Nancy Sprowls
November 27, 2019 at 5:34 am
Can this be made a day ahead or is it better freshly baked?
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 27, 2019 at 9:46 am
I always make it a day ahead, whether this recipe or any other dressing recipe. Save pouring the melted butter on the top until right before it goes in the oven. I should probably update the recipe card with that info. 🙂
Reply
NBell
November 27, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Love this recipe and will give it a try this Thanksgiving, just one question,, can I mix it all up the day before, then bake it on Tday? Thank you for your great recipes!
Reply
Michelle De La Cerda
November 27, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Yes, you can make it the day before and cook it on the day of. I’d recommend not adding the melted butter that you pour over in the last step before baking until right before you pop it in the oven.
Reply
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Becky
December 24, 2020 at 10:26 am
I have made this multiple times and it is always a huge hit. So flavorful. I made it for Thanksgiving this year and I am making it tomorrow for Christmas. Thanks for the recipe.
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