This delicious Low Carb Stuffing is hearty, packed with flavor, and so easy to make! Prepare it with either leftover cornbread or roasted eggplant for a side dish everyone will love.
Who doesn’t love stuffing? This fragrant, delicious dish made with bread, vegetables, and spices is a hit at any table.
Most stuffing recipes call for bread, which packs in a lot of empty carbs that can cause unwanted blood sugar spikes. But this recipe for low carb stuffing changes that!
To reduce the carbs in stuffing, simply replace the traditional bread with low carb cornbread or roasted eggplant. It’s so easy, and the final result is always a huge crowd-pleaser.
I love using our cornbread for this recipe! I just throw together the bread the day before so that it has a little time to dry out, then it’s ready to go once I need it. The taste and texture turn out just like a traditional stuffing!
This recipe also uses all the best herbs: thyme, oregano, basil, and the all-important sage. These herbs and the sautéed vegetables add so much flavor and crunchiness to the dish.
Best of all, this stuffing can be ready in under 30 minutes. And no one will be able to tell it’s low carb and diabetes-friendly!
How to make low carb stuffing
This recipe is wonderfully easy to make. Your herbs and veggies come together in one pot on the stove, then simply add the mix plus the chicken stock to the cornbread and bake!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
Step 2: In a large casserole dish, add the cubed cornbread. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well.
Step 3: Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cornbread is browned slightly and crisp.
Step 4: While the cornbread is baking, add butter to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, leeks, and garlic. Sauté for 5 – 7 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Step 5: Add the basil, thyme, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then cook for another 5 minutes until the herbs are fragrant.
Step 6: Add the sautéed vegetable mix to the casserole dish, pour in the chicken stock, then mix everything together so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Step 7: Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top has started to brown.
That’s all it takes. You can serve as-is, or use it as the stuffing for your holiday turkey!
How to substitute eggplant for the cornbread
If you’d rather use a veggie in place of bread for this recipe, roasted eggplant is a great option!
Start by cutting the eggplant into cubes. Salt the cubes well, then allow them to sit for 30 minutes. After, use a towel to wipe away any moisture drawn out by the salt.
Then, simply roast the eggplant cubes for 10 – 25 minutes at 350ºF until nice and brown. Once they’re ready, just use them in place of the cornbread cubes and follow the rest of the recipe as usual.
Using the right kind of bread
Our cornbread is a great low-carb alternative to the bread you usually find in stuffing. It turns out perfect every time!
However, if you have a different store-bought or homemade low carb bread that you enjoy, you can use that in place of the cornbread for this recipe.
Whatever kind of bread you decide to use, one very important tip is to make sure you let your bread dry out a bit. Fresh bread, including our cornbread recipe, holds a lot of moisture. This can turn into mush in the stuffing, which we don’t want.
Dried out bread, on the other hand, holds its texture better and absorbs more flavor.
So no matter what kind of bread you use, make sure you bake it at least a day in advance!
Variations for your stuffing recipe
In the mood for a meatier stuffing? Some grilled sausages, bacon, or shredded chicken will make a great addition! They’ll increase the protein content and add even more delicious flavor.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a lighter taste, add in a few more veggies. Some bell peppers, spring onions, or grilled mushrooms are all excellent options. They’ll absorb the herb flavors and blend seamlessly into the stuffing.
Storage
Stuffing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This will also give the flavors even more time to infuse and intensify, so you may discover that this dish is even tastier the next day! It’s perfect for leftovers or for getting a head-start on your holiday cooking.
Other healthy low carb recipes
Looking for more delicious, low-carb side dishes? Here are a few of my favorites that I know you’ll love:
For even more tasty recipe inspiration, check out this roundup of 10 healthy dinner recipes for diabetics!
When you’ve tried this dish, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Low Carb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed low-carb cornbread (or other low-carb bread)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- ¼ cup leeks (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180°C).
- In a large casserole dish, add the cubed cornbread. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well.
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cornbread is browned slightly and crisp.
- While the cornbread is baking, add butter to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, leeks, and garlic. Sauté for 5 – 7 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the basil, thyme, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then cook for another 5 minutes until the herbs are fragrant.
- Add the sautéed vegetable mix to the casserole dish, pour in the chicken stock, then mix everything together so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top has started to brown.
Low-Carb Stuffing
I see in the directions it says to add leeks. Leeks are not on the ingredient list, how much do I add? Thanks!
Thank you for catching that mistake. We have added the leeks to the ingredients list.