Stuffing Muffins

I make really awesome stuffing. It's super simple and really tasty! :D I've actually already made this stuffing quite a few times this year because I love it so much. Stuffing is definitely not a Thanksgiving only food for me. :D

But because I've made it so often, I thought it might be time to mix it up.

ENTER: STUFFIN' MUFFINS

I'm mostly making these so I can keep talking about stuffing muffins.

This recipe makes one 9x13 pan of stuffing or 24 stuffin' muffins.

• a loaf of bread (around a pound - I'm using sour batard because it is DELICIOUS)
• an onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced finely
• 3-4 stalks of celery (to equal the amount of carrot), diced finely
• 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 cups chicken stock (this is my favorite kind)
• 4 tablespoons of salted butter
• a few pinches of poultry seasoning
• fresh sage and parsley, chopped (optional - but adding a couple tablespoons of each adds nice color and flavor!)

See? Pretty easy. You can add diced apple, dried cranberries, nuts or even sausage if you're feeling ridiculously fancy. I never do because I am lazy. :D

You'll want to have a couple muffin tins, a baking rack and some cooking spray. Oh, and preheat your oven to 350 F!

Prep work is two steps - drying out the bread and dicing/sauteing the vegetables. :D

If you're on top of things, you can slice the bread into 1 inch thick or less slices and leave it out on the counter overnight. If you're like me and always wing everything, just pop the sliced bread into a 250 F oven on top of a baking rack on a sheet pan. It will take 15-20 minutes to dry it out, so you can chop and saute your veggies while you wait.

Once the bread is dry, cut it into small pieces and place it into a large bowl.

I saute the vegetables in four tablespoons of butter until soft. Add in the poultry seasoning and herbs if using. :) Feel free to add pepper at this point too - but wait to add salt until the chicken stock gets added.

Once the veggies are soft, pour them on top of the bread.

Pour the chicken stock over the bread and vegetables. Mix well until everything is slightly wet.

Spray your muffin tins with cooking spray and spoon the mixture in. Pack the stuffing down into the tins. :)

Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until they're turning nice and golden brown.

Let the stuffin' muffins cool for 5-10 minutes and then flip the whole pan over onto a serving platter! Enjoy. :D