Stuff This! Top 10 Most Creative Stuffing Recipes

As you may have gathered by now, we’re not exactly Thanksgiving traditionalists here at Endless Simmer. But stuffing is one thing we simply will not go without. (You gotta have something to soak up all those pumpkin martinis, right?) Of course, we’re not talkin’ bout plain old sausage-spiked bread stuffing. These 10 creative recipes get crazy with the size, shape and flavor of Thanksgiving stuffing.

10. Stuffing Muffins

Stuffing_Muffins-grid-580

We’ve seen this one quite a bit lately and think it is just cute as all hell. Bake your stuffing in a muffin tin and then serve it in place of rolls. Genius.
Recipe: Cooking on the Side

9. Mofongo Stuffing

mofongo

It doesn’t get much tastier than mofongo — a Puerto Rican specialty of fried green plantains mashed up with bacon, sofrito and olive oil. Oh wait, it does get better. You can stuff that baby in a turkey. Yum.
Recipe: Always Order Dessert

8. “Meatloaf” Stuffing

32

Cranberry sauce isn’t the only thing that’s allowed to bring a weird pre-packaged shape to the T-day table. Bake your stuffing in a loaf pan and serve everyone a hearty slice of meatloaf stuffing.
Recipe: Bread et Butter

7. Fried Stuffing Croquettes

7d9f97e7-1800-420a-bc7a-f2539ab87c31

This one’s intended for leftover stuffing, but if you’re ambitious you can make it the day of. Rolled-up balls of stuffing are coated in panko (love that bread-on-bread action), then deep-fried. For a special surprise, toss your other leftovers (turkey, gravy) in the center so they ooze out when you take a bite.
Recipe: Menu in Progress

6. Chinese Stuffing

3006106661_d6b7ea07ea

Many Chinese-American families have taken this traditional sticky rice recipe and adapted it for inside the bird. Too crazy for pilgrim day? We say no way.
Recipe: The Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook

5. Steak Stuffing

steak

Empire Steak House in NYC serves Thanksgiving dinner, but they don’t cede any ground to the bird. Yes, they take that turkey and stick some red meat right up in it. The restaurant is kind enough to let us publish the full recipe:

· 6 thick slices of Empire’s famous Canadian bacon (chopped)

· 1 cup chopped onions

· 1/2 cup celery

· 3 ¼ cups water

· 6 cups seasoned stuffing crumbs

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 2 lbs of Empire’s tender steak

Preparation

· Slightly cook the steak, and chop into pieces.

· Cook the thick Canadian bacon and chop into pieces.

· Sauté onions until slightly brown.

· In a bowl mix in the seasoned stuffing crumbs, water, salt and sautéed onions.

· Once ingredients are mixed, the steak and bacon should also be combined in the bowl.

· When the turkey is ¾ cooked, stuff your Thanksgiving turkey.

4. Pear, Toasted Walnut and Blue Cheese Stuffing

bluecheesecloseup

Just because stuffing is mostly bread and butter doesn’t mean it can’t have some funky flavors, too. Enter blue cheese. Amen.
Recipe: Fake Food Free

3. Stuffing Pizza

thanksgiving pizza

When we put out the call on twitter for crazy stuffing recipes, Jessica Thinkies replied, “how about a pizza that uses stuffing ingredients? J/K :)” Clearly, we did not take that as a joke.
Recipe: Savory Reviews

2. Tortilla Chip Stuffing

Tostito-Stuffing-040-1

A no-bread dish invented for the gluten-free set, tortilla chip stuffing sounds pretty enticing to all.
Recipe: Gluten Free Easily

1. White Castle Stuffing

white-castle-turkey-stuffing

If you see someone pulling into the White Castle drive-in this Thanksgiving, don’t assume they’re a lazybones giving up on cooking at home — because they may be tearing those sliders up and stuffing them in the bird. Hells yes.
Photo: Dinnercraft
Recipe: White Castle

What did we miss? Have an inventive spin on stuffing? Feed us back in the comments.

More Thanksgiving on ES:
A Meat Lover’s Thanksgiving
Butternut Cranberry Spring Rolls
Five Ways to Drink Your Thanksgiving Dinner
All Thanksgiving Posts

You may also like

18 comments

  • Jens November 22, 2010  

    Bread soaked in turkey juices? No thanks. I never understood your affection for stuffed birds. Maybe except this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken
    Could this stand in for Thanksgiving?

  • Shirley @ gfe November 22, 2010  

    Thanks so much for featuring gfe’s Surprise Stuffing! Easiest gluten-free stuffing ever! 😉 Love the creativity of the other stuffing recipes, too. I’d actually like to try all of these (a gluten-free version, of course)! 🙂

    No matter which version we use, we’ll all be stuffed come Thursday! 😉 Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

    Shirley

  • Ali @ NourishingMeals November 22, 2010  

    Look at all of those unique stuffing ideas. I loved that you have included Shirley’s naturally gluten-free stuffing! 🙂

  • Diane-thewholegang November 22, 2010  

    Wow those are really creative. I like the stuffing muffins and love the gluten free tortilla stuffing. Great top 10.

  • Kim-Cook it Allergy Free November 23, 2010  

    Wow! What an amazing round-up of Stuffing recipes! Definitely some of the most unique recipes I have seen! But i totally love that you included a naturally gluten-free recipe into the mix. And the gfe-gluten free easily site is such a great resource for those of us that have to be gluten-free. Thanks so much for sharing this list!! Who would have though of stuffing meatloaves,, pizzas, or stuffing croquettes? So fun.

  • Nancy @SensitivePantry November 23, 2010  

    Never thought there could be so many stuffing variations. Of course, my favorite is the GFE gluten-free stuffing but agree with Shirley that many of these are mighty enticing.

  • Carol, Simply...Gluten-free November 23, 2010  

    Love these stuffings and so happy that you included a gluten-free one! Usually we are over looked – Thank you!

  • So many great looking recipes but most of all, I want to say THANK YOU for sharing Shirley’s brilliant idea for a gluten-free stuffing!

  • Wendy @ Celiacs in the House November 23, 2010  

    As a stuffing-lover, I really shouldn’t have read this post. There are too many ways to eat stuffing and no excuse to eat it only on holidays. What a great bunch of creative minds turned loose on stuffing. I really appreciate the inclusion of a gluten-free choice on the top 10.

  • Lori@FakeFoodFree November 23, 2010  

    I’m honored to be included in this list of delicious stuffings! Such a great list and now I have even more ideas to work with. Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Tia November 23, 2010  

    What a great bunch of stuffing ideas. Very inventive. But, I, like a lot of people it seems, really appreciate the gluten-free option with the Tortilla Chip Stuffing from Gluten-Free Easily. Thanks!

  • Elana November 23, 2010  

    Oh my goodness! I love stuffing, and since I’m gluten free, Shirley’s stuffing is right up my alley. Can’t wait to make it for my boys.

    Thanks for a great stuffing round up; my mouth is watering!

  • Lexie | Lexie's Kitchen November 23, 2010  

    What a round up of very unique stuffings. Have to say I may have to branch out this year! Shirley at http://www.glutenfreeeasily.com … love the gluten-free recipe as my son gluten-free. Thanks for the idea of using corn chips.

  • erica November 23, 2010  

    i’ve done a “raw” GF stuffing before from celery, marinated portabellas, onion… some other junk… anyway, my point here was to say that I gotta have BREAD stuffing, even if I buy a loaf of GF bread once a year. if it’s not bread, i’m going to feel like i didn’t really have stuffing, i know this from experience.

  • Ellen November 23, 2010  

    What a FANTASTIC assortment of stuffing recipes! Just in time, as many of us, myself included, are hunkering down and making our stuffing tomorrow. All the recipes look great, but I am particularly interested in Shirley’s Surprise stuffing recipe. Anytime I can make an interesting outside of the box (or bag, in this case) recipe that is gluten free to boot, I’m all ears! And when it comes to Shirley’s recipes, they can’t be beat. She has convenience and taste all wrapped up, and you can take that to the bank!

  • Alisa Cooks November 23, 2010  

    Thanks so much for these great recipes. The stuffing muffins and tortilla stuffing are going on my list to make this year!

  • Stephanie - Wasabimon November 24, 2010  

    Thank you SO MUCH for the gluten free recipe. I was in search of a recipe for this week and now I’ve got one! Yay!

  • Sarah February 27, 2011  

    Usually these food sites make food look appealing….this DOES NOT. Looks like bad school cafeteria slop.

Leave a comment