Apples and fresh cranberries add a unique twist to this variation on the classic stuffing. Use fresh sage or rubbed sage in this recipe; the ground version is too bitter.

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

4 cups cubed whole-wheat bread (6 slices)
4 cups cubed white sandwich bread (6 slices)
Giblets from 1 turkey (see Tip), liver discarded
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, rubbed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (see Tip)
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread whole-wheat and white bread on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place giblets and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Finely chop the giblets and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add apples, cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the giblet-cooking liquid, sage and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the apples are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the toasted bread, giblets and cranberries. Drizzle broth over the bread mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Transfer stuffing to a lightly oiled casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake until heated through, 35 to 45 minutes. If you would like a crisp top, uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 241 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 31 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrate; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 408 mg sodium; 170 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (80% daily value), Folate (19% dv).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fruit

TIP: Tips: If you don’t have turkey giblets, omit Step 2 and substitute 3/4 cup chicken broth for the giblet-cooking liquid in Step 3; omit adding chopped giblets.

To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.

I always help my wife with Thanksgiving dinner (I usually do the stuffing and the sweet potatoes). I wanted a change from the same old stuffing that I make every year, and this recipe caught my eye with the apples, and boy was it a hit! The fruit added another dimension to the stuffing, and everybody loved it last year, so I'm going to make it again.

Anonymous, SC

This was so good at Thanksgiving that I'm making it again for Christmas. I cooked it in a casserole dish. Some changes I made: Used all whole-wheat bread. Didn't use giblets. Used olive oil instead of canola.

MP, Seattle, WA

great recipe! I've cooked it for three years and it's allways a hit. Really good for a gravy lover... This year I'm going replace the apples with some fuyu persimmons to add some nice orange color to it.

Austin R, Oceanside, CA

I thought this was very good, although we use the giblets to make stock for the gravy. I had some store bought turkey broth so I used that to replace the turkey giblet cooking liquid as well as the chicken broth. I also did not use the giblets in the stuffing. I would have liked to seen instructions included on how to bake outside of the bird, as well as more specific information (apples chopped-coarsely chopped, fine, etc?)

Angela