Dressing Done Right

Did you know that the average American Thanksgiving dinner is 3,000 calories?? Since I'm trying to do 1,200 calories a day, that's OVER TWO DAYS worth of calories for me- in one meal!!

One of my favorite foods at Thanksgiving is the dressing / stuffing (my family makes kind of a combo of the two and mmm, it is tasty)! If done right, there is nothing quite like hot, delicious dressing or stuffing on my plate then in my belly. Unfortunately, the average dressing and/or stuffing run around 350-400 calories and 18-20g of fat (eek!) per CUP! Yikes!

So what on Earth am I going to do on Thursday when my favorite dish is served?? Personally, I'm going to take my own stuffing / dressing. That way, I can feel like I'm indulging without sacrificing.

Here are two great recipes I've found! I'm going to make this first one for my meal on Thursday.

From Gina at http://www.skinnytaste.com/:

Mom's Stuffing, Lightened Up
Per Serving (1/8 of recipe):
Calories: 175.8 • Fat: 3.0 g • Protein: 5.0 g • Carb: 29 g • Fiber: 1.9 g • Points: 3

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) loaf french bread, cut into small cubes
2 slices bacon, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, minced
3 medium stalks celery, minced
8 fresh sage leaves, minced
2/3 cup chopped parsley
salt and fresh pepper
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup water
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large saute pan over medium heat cook bacon for about 2 minutes. Add butter; when melted add onions, celery, parsley, sage, salt and pepper and saute on medium low until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken broth and egg.

In a large bowl add bread and combine with sauteed vegetables. Add chicken broth and egg mixture and combine well. If stuffing is too dry, add a little water until you have the right consistency.

Spray a casserole with baking spray, add stuffing and bake uncovered 35-40 minutes, or until golden.





The second recipe is from Hungry Girl!

HG's Cran-tastic Apple Cornbread Stuffing
Per Serving (One heaping cup):
Calories: 159 • Fat: 0.5 g • Protein: 5.0 g • Carb: 34 g • Fiber: 3.5 g • Points: 3

Ingredients:

Cornbread
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup canned cream-style corn
1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt (like Fage Total 0%)

Stuffing
1 large Fuji apple, cored and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 tsp. chopped garlic
4 slices light bread
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

To make the cornbread, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Mix well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine corn, egg substitute, and yogurt.
Whisk thoroughly. Add mixture to the large bowl
and stir until completely mixed.

Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for about
25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow cornbread to cool completely. For speedier cooling,
remove it from the pan once slightly cooled.

To make the stuffing, set oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Spray a 13" X 9" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to
medium-high heat on the stove. Add apple, onion, celery, and garlic.
Stirring often, cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Lightly toast bread slices. Meanwhile, chop cranberries
and add to the large bowl. Tear toasted bread into bite-sized
pieces and add to the bowl as well.

Crumble cornbread into pieces and add to the bowl.
Add broth and spices, and gently stir to combine.
Transfer contents to the baking pan.

Bake in the oven until firm, 35 - 40 minutes.
Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Both of these recipes are a tasty AND healthy spin off of traditional stuffing.

What are you going to do for dressing or stuffing this year?