Stuffing has never been a highly cherished Thanksgiving side dish for my family. I know that sounds crazy, since stuffing is one of the most classic Thanksgiving sides there is. But for whatever reason my family has just never been all that into it. In the last few years however, I’ve had to cook Thanksgiving for a lot of non family members. And because I love to please all, I knew that my Thanksgiving menu needed to include a good stuffing. I’ve tried more classic recipes, but never found anything I absolutely loved. Until this year. When I had the idea to swap out dry bread for buttery croissants, my views on stuffing changed immediately. Stuffing can be good, delicious actually. You just need to make it with croissants. Oh, and cheese… Of course.
When I was thinking up this year’s Thanksgiving menu, and brainstorming stuffing concepts, I had just made a recipe that used croissants as the base. I had a ton of day old croissants left over, so I decided to do a quick stuffing test run with the ingredients I had on hand. Pretty much immediately, I knew the recipe was going to be good. I mean? Croissant stuffing? With wild mushrooms and kale and Gruyère cheese? It’s basically a meal on its own, and it’s all things delicious.
Like most stuffing recipes, you want to be using dry bread. The key here is to toast your croissants up in the oven to dry them out a bit before adding any broth to them. This helps them hold up while baking, and gives them a nice crispness. While that’s happening, caramelize the mushrooms with butter, fresh sage, thyme, and a good amount of kale. I love using a good mix of vegetables in my stuffing to give it color, flavor, and texture. The warming sage and thyme pair perfectly with the earthy mushrooms and kale. It’s one of my favorite fall combos and perfect for a Thanksgiving meal.
Once your croissants are toasted, toss them with the mushroom mixture, add cheese, and then bake. Nothing too fancy, but the use of croissants is such an upgrade from the classic stuffing. And I have to say, everyone loved this dish. I ended up serving the leftovers to my family and they ate it multiple nights in a row. The verdict was two thumbs up all around, and everyone agreed that the croissants are a game changer. Already excited to serve this pretty stuffing on Thanksgiving next week for the family we have coming into town.
Also, I’m not a stuff the stuffing inside the turkey kind of person. I much prefer to bake my stuffing separately. One of the most delicious details of this recipe are the crisp, cheesy croissants on the top layer. They’re mouth-watering and so good, and my favorite part of the dish. For that reason, I’m not advocating placing this stuffing inside your bird. Got it? OK. Cool. Enjoy, enjoy!
PS. If you’re looking for a little different stuffing option, check out this oldie but goodie…Buffalo Cheddar Beer Bread Stuffing. If you make this stuffing be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
