Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sage Stuffing



Total Time: 4 hr 55 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 4 hr 30 min
Serves: 12
Easy


Let your slow cooker help you with the holidays this year. Here’s a luxurious stuffing (aka dressing) recipe, ideal for turkey or ham, and stocked with plenty of vegetables and enough sage and cranberries to make the pilgrims jealous.
Paper towels layered over, but not on, the top of the ingredients, catch drips that condense on the lid and absorb excess moisture that can fall down on the top of the stuffing and turn it soggy. Don’t remove the crusts from the bread: they give the dressing more texture and flavor after long-cooking.
The dish can stay on the keep-warm setting for 30 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups uncooked butternut squash, diced
  • 1½ cups uncooked onions, chopped
  • 1 cup uncooked celery, thinly sliced
  • 10 oz sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, leaves, minced
  • 1 tsp Rosemary, fresh, chopped
  • ½ tsp table salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1¼ cup(s) fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 sprays cooking spray

Instructions
  1. Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add squash, onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until onion softens, 5 minutes.
  2. Scrape vegetable mixture into a large bowl; add bread, cranberries, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper and stir well.
  3. Whisk broth and eggs in a small bowl until smooth; pour over bread mixture and toss well until liquid has been absorbed.
  4. Lightly coat insides of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; add bread mixture in an even layer. Lay paper towels across top of slow cooker so they hang over edges, completely covering stuffing but not touching ingredients below; cover and cook on low until set, 4 ½ hours.
  5. Serving Size: 2/3 cup Butternut Squash and Sage Stuffing .

Notes
Save some of the celery leaves for garnish.