Apple Pear Stuffing

For me, no holiday feast is complete without a hardy stuffing, one that’s moist, fluffy, and just a bit sweet and savory. And that’s exactly the kind of stuffing we’re preparing today with my Apple and Pear Stuffing recipe. This stuffing combines toasted bread and nuts as a savory base, with sweet ingredients like apples and pears, along with a medley of seasonings such as oregano, grating cheese, and garlic. Aromatics, such as onions and celery, help tie the stuffing together, while raisins and walnuts give the recipe a lovely seasonal flare.

The end result is a holiday-themed twist on more traditional stuffing recipes – such as my Old Fashioned Stuffing (my personal favorite!) or my Italian Stuffing. While my Apple and Pear Stuffing is perfect as a side to all the usual holiday favorites like roast pork, turkey, or prime rib, this stuffing recipe can also be enhanced with things like sausage, or add-ins like fennel, pine nuts, dried fruits, or different styles of bread – as we’ll cover below.

Now, without further delay, let’s get to it. Read on for a recipe overview, a complete ingredient checklist, and a printable recipe card.

Recipe Overview – What to Expect

If you read this far, I’m willing to bet that means this stuffing has caught your attention. However, you also probably still have a few questions, such as what this recipe is like in terms of taste and texture. Or maybe you want to know how hard it is to make? Or perhaps what it pairs well with?

For the answer to those questions and more, read on.

Taste and Texture: Rich and complex, this stuffing features a delicious medley of seasonal flavors that will help bring to life any holiday feast.

• Sweet and Fruity: It’s in the name, and that means the apples and pears are front and center, providing the stuffing with a natural sweetness. This natural sweetness pairs beautifully with the subtle earthiness of the celery and the onions, which of course brings us to the stuffing’s savory notes.
• Savory Undertones: I’m using freshly grated Romano cheese, and pairing that with dried oregano, onion, celery, and some butter to form the stuffing’s savory side, which provides this recipe with a lot of depth.
• Nutty Crunch: The addition of walnuts and raisins provides a delightful contrast in texture, giving the stuffing both a nutty crunch and some fruity chew.
• Soft and Crisp Balance: Naturally, the bulk of the stuffing comes from the bread mixture, which cooks up moist and fluffy, while developing a golden crust through the baking process.

Difficulty Level

I would never claim that any stuffing recipe is ‘easy,’ but this one certainly comes close. The recipe involves no difficult or complex baking techniques and instead relies on kitchen basics like sautéing veggies, toasting bread, and mixing together some simple ingredients. The most challenging part is balancing the moisture level, but with careful attention, it’s very manageable. All told I can easily recommend this recipe to beginner home chefs, provided they are willing to invest a bit of time and attention to detail.

Preparation Process: None of these steps are particularly complex, but as you can see there are a fair few of them. With that in mind, here’s how to bring this stuffing together.

1. Toast and Tear Bread: We start the stuffing by preparing the bread to ensure that it thoroughly absorbs the flavors of the stuffing, and becomes moist through cooking. It’s also important that the bread maintains its form and structure through cooking, lest it fall apart and become mushy. Not fun.
2. Sauté Aromatics: From there, it’s time to bring together the aromatics. That means the onions, celery, apples, and pears.
3. Combine Ingredients: Finally, we combine the prepped bread, the sautéed ingredients, and the seasonings, and moisten it with milk.
4. Bake: Once mixed, the stuffing is baked in two stages—covered to retain moisture and uncovered to achieve a crisp finish.

Pairings: All the usual holiday favorites apply here.

• Roasted Meats: Think holiday turkey, pork roasts, beef roasts, or whole roasted chicken.
• Sides: Mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, winter veggies, or a crisp, green salad for some nice balance. Hardy soups like bisques and chowder, or a nice stew would also pair nicely as sides.
• Drinks: A light, fruity white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc, or a spiced cider to complement the apples and pears would both complement the stuffing deliciously

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need

As I said above, I wouldn’t call any stuffing recipe easy, but that doesn’t mean you’ll need expensive or hard-to-find ingredients for this recipe. Just the opposite. To make this stuffing, you will need only easy-to-find, affordable, simple ingredients.

With that in mind, here’s everything you will need.

• 6 Large Dinner Rolls (toasted and torn)
  • Tip: Use stale bread if you have it, as it will toast more evenly and absorb the liquids better.
  • Substitution: You can use any firm, crusty bread you like. Consider substituting with French bread, baguette, or any rustic bread if rolls are unavailable.
• 2 cups of Leftover Cornbread (crumbled)
  • Note: Adds a sweet and crumbly texture to the stuffing.
  • Substitution: Replace with additional bread if cornbread isn’t available, but note that it will slightly change the flavor profile.
• 3 Apples (peeled and diced)
  • Tip: Opt for firm, slightly tart varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best flavor.
• 2 Pears (peeled and diced)
  • Tip: Bartlett or Anjou pears work well due to their soft texture and sweetness.
  • Substitution: Substitute with additional apples if pears aren’t available.
• 4–5 Stalks of Celery (chopped with leaves)
  • Tip: Include the leaves for added flavor and to brighten the aromatics.
  • Tip 2: For a milder flavor, omit the leaves or use fennel as an alternative.
• 2 Sweet Onions (diced)
  • Substitution: Yellow or Vidalia onions are great substitutes for sweet onions.
  • Note: For a stronger flavor, and more oniony bite, use red or white onions.
• 1 1/2–2 cups Milk
  • Note: I really do suggest that you use whole milk, as the added fat helps provide the stuffing with richness and moisture.
  • Substitution: Yes, the dairy alternative of your choice works just fine here. Unsweetened almond milk or chicken stock both work well as dairy-free options in this recipe.
• 1/2 cup Raisins
  • Note: Adds sweetness and chewy texture.
  • Substitution: Swap with dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a twist.
• 1/2 cup Walnuts (chopped)
  • Note: Toast the walnuts beforehand for enhanced flavor.
  • Substitution: Your preferred nuts will work just fine, though pecans or almonds would probably work best. You want crunchy, substantial nuts that will hold their shape and texture through baking. That said, you can omit them entirely if need be.
• 2 tsp. Salt
  • Note: To help bind the flavors. Naturally, feel free to adjust the salt to your taste.
• 2 tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
  • Note: For mild heat and earthy depth.
  • Tip: I suggest using freshly ground pepper for the best aromatics. That said, pre-ground coarse pepper will work just fine (and is what I’m using in this recipe!).
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano (crushed)
  • Tip: Don’t just add the dried oregano to the mix. Instead, rub the oregano bulbs between your palms or crush them in a mortar and pestle to ensure maximal release of their natural oils and aroma for best results.
  • Substitution: Thyme, rosemary, or dried (not fresh) basil would be fine substitutes, though I do find that the oregano goes best with the beef.
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
  • Note: The parmesan adds a nice umami and richness to the stuffing, one that you can’t really replicate quite the same with other ingredients.
  • Tip: Remember, we want to top the stuffing with extra cheese right before baking to help achieve a nice golden crust.
• 4 tbs. Butter (plus more for patting on top)
  • Tip: As a rule of thumb, always use unsalted butter unless a recipe specifically calls for salted butter. And yes, that applies to this stuffing as well.
  • Substitution: I’ll be honest and say I wouldn’t recommend skipping the butter. That said, if you must substitute the butter, I’d use an equal amount of olive oil.
• 3 tbs. Olive Oil
  • Note: For sautéing, I also find that the flavor of the olive oil enhances the overall profile.
  • Substitution: If you must substitute the olive oil, I would suggest using a flavor-neutral oil like corn oil or avocado oil. That said, I do suggest sticking with olive oil for this recipe.

Tips for Preparing Apple and Pear Stuffing

1. Toast the Bread Properly
   • The bulk of this stuffing is the bread, and that means if you want to get this stuffing right you need to get the bread right. With that in mind, you want to toast the dinner rolls and cornbread until they are golden but ‘only’ slightly crispy. Slightly toasting the bread beforehand will prevent the bread from becoming mushy during cooking, ensuring the stuffing’s texture becomes moist while remaining firm enough to hold its form.
   • As a rule, I suggest you allow the bread to cool completely before working with it, as this will help ensure that it maintains its texture. This also makes the bread easier to work with.
2. Sauté Aromatics for Maximum Flavor
   • Do not rush the sautéing process. Medium heat all the way through. That means cooking the onions and celery – slowly – over medium heat to allow their natural sweetness to develop and to ensure the maximal release of their aromatics.
   • As I mentioned above, leave the celery leaves on for added flavor and aroma.
3. Prepare the Fruits Carefully
   • Peel and dice the apples and pears evenly to ensure they cook at the same rate.
   • Be sure to use firm apple and pear varieties, otherwise you risk the fruit falling apart during cooking. Not fun.
4. Balance the Moisture
   • The moisture is the tricky part. Too much and the stuffing becomes mushy. Too little, and the stuffing becomes hard or even burns during cooking. As such, you’ll want to add the milk gradually to the toasted bread mixture. The resulting stuffing should be soft but not soggy.
   • If you use up all of the milk allotted in the recipe card but the mixture is still dry, add more milk in small amounts, or switch to adding small quantities of chicken or vegetable stock. Do ‘not’ attempt to bake a dry stuffing mixture. It will burn.
5. Enhance the Texture
   • I would suggest lightly toasting the walnuts before adding them to the stuffing. This helps them to develop a deeper, nuttier flavor.
6. Customize the Flavor
   • Don’t be afraid to adjust the seasoning quantities to match your preference. If you’re serving the stuffing as part of a holiday meal, add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon for a warm, Christmas twist.
   • For added richness, add cream or melted butter to the stuffing mix. This will bring an extra layer of decadence to the stuffing.
   • I always encourage you to get creative, and this recipe is no exception.
7. Assemble and Bake Smartly
   • Press the stuffing gently into the pan to ensure even cooking but don’t pack it too tightly, as this can make it dense.
   • Cover the pan with foil for the first half of baking to retain moisture, then uncover to achieve a crisp, golden top.
8. Cheesy Finishing Touch
   • The cheese is important here, so don’t forget that extra sprinkle of grating cheese. It also helps the stuffing to form a nice savory crust.
   • As always, I recommend freshly grating your cheese. Pre-ground grating cheese leaks away moisture, and that means leaking away flavor.
9. Make Ahead Option
   • You can prep ‘parts’ of this recipe a day in advance, such as chopping up the veggies, toasting the bread, and portioning out the seasonings. Beyond that, I would not bake or saute this recipe ahead of time.

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And that’s our Apple and Pear Stuffing. If you enjoyed today’s recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below, we always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!

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