Thanksgiving would not be complete without my mother's dressing. Being vegan and avoiding gluten challenged me to create a suitable substitute for the cornbread and vegetable dressing that I adore with a base courtesy of Mrs. Cubbison's. Aside from the fact that I wanted to make it vegan and gluten-free, I also wanted to create a recipe that was free of preservatives and sugars. Yes, it is an added step in the process of preparing Thanksgiving dinner to make your own stuffing base, but the results are worth it when you get to enjoy your favorite things.
I learned a couple of things in the process of experimentation with this recipe. First was that the gluten-free Dressing came out better than one made with spelt or barley flour, and second it makes really great croutons. Cut them into cubes as you would for the Dressing and use them for salads or in long crackers like biscotti to use for serving with soups or as crostini.
Don't wait until Thanksgiving is a week away. This is a recipe that you can make now and have it out of the way.
Vegan and Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing Base | |
Makes about 12 ounces of dried cubes. | |
For all ingredients, please use those that are organic or grown without pesticides. | |
1 1/2 cups | gluten free corn flour |
1 cup | sorghum flour |
1/3 cup | tapioca flour |
1 teaspoon | xanthan gum |
1/3 cup | chickpea flour |
1 1/2 teaspoons | chili powder |
4 teaspoons | baking powder |
1 teaspoon | dried thyme |
1 teaspoon | dried oregano |
1 teaspoon | dried ground sage |
1 1/2 teaspoons | salt |
1/2 teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
3 tablespoons | sunflower or canola oil |
1 3/4 cup | unsweetened soy, coconut, or almond milk |
Preheat the oven to 375 F. | |
In a large bowl, combine the corn flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, chickpea flour, chili powder, baking powder, thyme, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper. Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients. | |
In a liquid measuring cup, combine the plant-based milk and the oil. | |
Add the liquid to the flours and spices. Stir to combine. | |
Pour the batter into an oiled or sprayed 9 x 9 inch baking dish. If you do not have that exact size, use two smaller pans or one that will come close in size. You are going to cut the bread into small cubes to dry it out so it will not make a difference. | |
Put in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until it is golden brown. | |
Allow the bread to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. | |
Use a serrated knife to cut the bread into cubes that are approximately 1/2 inch in size. | |
Put them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and thoroughly dry them out in an oven at 250-300 F. This should take anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the heat. | |
Once they are dried, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month. | |
*If you want to make the batter it into savory biscotti, form the batter into two logs on a parchment lined baking sheet. When they are removed from the oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes and simply slice them into 1/4 inch slices. Dry them in a 250-300 F oven until crisp. |