My Easy Upgrade for Better Stuffing

Stuffing is a big part of my family’s Thanksgiving celebration, but everyone has a different opinion on what makes a great stuffing.

It’s such a big deal that we had three stuffings on the table one year. My brother-in-law brought his family’s German-style stuffing, which involved liver sausage and about 20 other ingredients. My sisters and my mom had to have cornbread and sausage stuffing.

I brought bread stuffing, but with my mother-in-law Jeanne’s two secret ingredients: apples and raisins.

This is my husband’s absolute favorite stuffing, and it's so good that I don’t just make it for Thanksgiving—I make it year-round for roast chicken dinners. I admit that the first time I tried it I was skeptical. I normally only like raisins in cereal, but I ended up loving the stuffing so much that now I always add raisins.

Why I Add Apples and Raisins to Stuffing

Apples and raisins elevate any basic stuffing recipe. Whether you’re using a boxed stuffing mix, homemade brioche croutons, or your granny’s favorite recipe, these two ingredients will knock it out of the park.

Both the apples and the raisins add a subtle sweetness without overpowering the other ingredients. The raisins plump up, and the apples almost melt into the stuffing. When you pair them with traditional herbs like sage, thyme, and parsley, it’s heavenly.

The sweetness of the fruits play up the inherent sweetness of the bread or bread crumbs, and it also enhances the savory gravy served with the stuffing, especially if you add a bit of hard apple cider to it (oh, is that an amazing pairing!).

How To Add Raisins and Apples to Your Favorite Stuffing Recipe

I usually add one cup of diced, peeled apples, and I’ve used all kinds—Macintosh, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and more. Any apple that’s good for baking or making applesauce will work. I usually soak the apple pieces in lemon juice so they don’t turn brown before cooking.

I also add about one-half to three-quarters of a cup of raisins. I usually add regular raisins, but golden raisins work, and I’ve even substituted dried, sweetened cranberries (these are good, but they add tartness and a totally different flavor).

One cup of apples and half a cup of raisins is enough for a nine by 13-inch casserole dish of stuffing. For Thanksgiving, I often double the recipe because it's so good that everyone wants some.

I mix in the apples and raisins at the same time as the onions, celery, and herbs. It's the simplest upgrade, and it works whether you are making stuffing from scratch or a box.

If you or some of your family members don’t like raisins, just add the apples. That’s what I did last year when I made my family’s favorite cornbread and sausage stuffing. They didn’t even know I had added anything out of the ordinary, but they raved about the taste.