Recipe for My Mom’s Vegetarian Baked Dressing Balls, aka Stuffin’ Muffins

Holiday meals evoke different memories for different people, but nearly every memory has something to do with the meal itself. Whether you prefer turkey to ham or are all about the tofurkey, my Mom’s Vegetarian Baked Dressing Balls, aka Stuffin’ Muffins will help you add a necessary side with minimal stress. With their mouths full, your family can’t get a word in edgewise. Here is one of my favorite delicious family recipes that is wonderful for your holiday menu. It is also good if you’re hosting vegetarians or vegans. If you substitute the butter for your preferred cooking oil and skip the eggs, this dish is suitable for vegans. You can even use gluten-free bread and adjust the seasonings to ensure it is safe for celiac guests.

I am sharing my very own Mom’s Vegetarian Baked Dressing Balls (Stuffin’ Muffins) recipe. This was at all her holiday tables since the 1970s and something I always forget I love until I take that first bite. Also, as an added bonus, this dish can be partially made ahead of time and frozen to make it even easier to prep on the day. 

Technically, because it is baked outside the bird and if your family is a bit Southern, it is “dressing” not “stuffing”, but the name “Stuffin’ Muffins” rhymes nicely so we call it that in my family. A muffin tin is a great way to bake side-dish stuffing in reasonable-sized portions so it bakes quicker than if it were in the bird as actual stuffing. I’ve shown it below plated up on the left with crumbly stuffing on the right. The platter is from Charlie Mahon Ceramics Pottery here in Ireland.

The three main elements of this dish are:

• Sautéed savoury greens and mushrooms

• Stale or toasted bread, sourdough is recommended

• Broth & eggs (but in a pinch, you can make it work without eggs)

My Mom’s Baked Dressing Balls, aka Stuffin’ Muffins

Butter to sauté ingredients

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 leek stalk, thinly sliced

4 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 cups sliced mushrooms

½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

2 eggs, raw

2 lbs. (90g) stale bread or put slices of sourdough in the oven on low to dry them out, but not brown them

48 ounces vegetable broth (chicken broth may be substituted)

More butter (or Pam cooking spray) for muffin pan

1. Melt butter in a large pan. Mix all the onions, celery, and mushrooms over medium heat. You want to sweat the onions and bring out the liquid from the mushrooms. At this point, you can let this mixture cool to refrigerate or freeze it until you prepare the Stuffin’ Muffins for baking.
2. Coarsley chop the stale/dry bread. Even the smaller crumbs are useful for this.
3. Whisk the eggs and a couple cups of broth together. The eggs help bind them together.
4. Add the bread pieces alternating with the broth/egg mixture, bit-by-bit. You want the bread to soak up the broth to remain soft and squishy, but not sitting in excess broth. When the texture is like a meatball, you’re ready to shape muffin balls.
5. Form balls lightly. Do not pack mixture densely or tightly.
6. Place in buttered muffin pans and bake in preheated oven at 350° for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with gravy.

That’s it. Super easy. Feel free to adapt to exclude what you dislike and include what you like or adjust for food allergies and preferences. Make it your own.

For leftovers, I love to reheat a stuffin’ muffin with shredded turkey on top and gravy with some cranberry sauce. Stop, I’m hungry just thinking about it.