Thanksgiving Stuffing with Plantains and Sausage

Easy Gluten-free Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe!

This Thanksgiving stuffing with ripe plantains, sausage, dry cranberries, and coconut milk is one stuffing recipe for the books. You will also need room-temperature eggs for binding! Feel free to swap the egg in this recipe with ground flax seed! typically do not rave about my food but am screaming from the rooftop about this one because you need to try it! Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, whole30, super easy to make paleo stuffing with plantains and sausage is finger-licking good! The sweetness of the sweet ripe plantains combined with the savory sausage, coconut milk, bell peppers, herbs, and spices is insanely delicious! This stuffing is moist, flavorful, tasty, kid-friendly, and a crowd-pleaser! You do not need gravy to eat this stuffing because it is moist and not dry unlike many “bread” stuffing! Be ready for a treat when you make this paleo stuffing! Listen, make this once, and you will make it again and again! The absolute best natural stuffing recipe you need is here, and it makes for the best side dish!

This healthier Thanksgiving stuffing is perfect for (well hello) Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Sunday roast, or any time you wish, etc. Pair this gluten-free stuffing with some juicy turkey, turkey breast, or this leg of lamb! 

Why You Will Love this Gluten-free Thanksgiving Stuffing with Ripe Plantains:

• SO freaking TASTY! Listen, this paleo stuffing is literally the BEST stuffing that I have a EVER eaten! My family and I enjoyed this recipe; this is the second year in a row we are making it during Thanksgiving.
• It’s wholesome & paleo (well obviously)
• Gluten-free! Yippie, this recipe is gluten-free and still tastes soooooo good!
• Easy to make!
• Kid-friendly. Any recipe that my kids whole-heartedly enjoy is a winning recipe in my book!
• This recipe is versatile (you can serve it as a side dish during the holidays especially Thanksgiving or use it as an only dish)! Equally, you can easily bake this in muffin cups instead of a baking dish. Take a look below: ⬇️

Ethnic Recipes Loves Plantains! (My Plantain-loving Background)!

Growing up in Nigeria, plantain was a huge part of my life; we had plantain trees in the compound and on our farm. My mother would use it in different ways, such as roasting, boiling, frying, etc. Check out my roasted ripe plantains with guacamole! Or my fried plantains and yam recipe (ultimate Naija breakfast)! Plantains are great as porridges too, (I added some to this sweet potato porridge.) Today I will be spinning around one of my mother’s (plantain) recipes to make this family requested paleo stuffing with plantains and sausage.

Living in America has afforded me the opportunity of adding yet another tradition to the ones I had growing up in Nigeria.  Every single year my family and I look forward to Thanksgiving – an American tradition celebrated every last Thursday of November. One of the unique thanksgiving dishes is “stuffing.” Usually, stuffing is made from bread or cornbread, but I decided to make my family’s stuffing from plantains. Well, guess what? It worked. Yippie!

Cheers to this deliciously yummy plantain and sausage stuffing, if you are excited about this new tradition, keep reading for the exact recipe.

Ingredients for Plantains and Sausage Stuffing:

• Ripe plantains (or semi-ripe plantains)
• Sausage
• Coconut milk (I used this one)
• Broth (I typically use chicken broth but beef broth would work! Store-bought broth also works just fine.) 
• Eggs 
• Dried cranberries
• Fresh rosemary
• Fresh sage leaves
• Curry powder (optional)
• Black pepper 
• Crushed red pepper or ground spicy pepper
• Maggi cube or Knorr bouillon seasoning
• Salt to taste if needed (remember, you had used salt to sauté the ground turkey)
• EVOO or Avocado oil 
• Fresh sage leaves (optional)

For sautéing the Sausage:

• Chopped onions
• Bell pepper (different colors if possible (chopped)
• A dash of salt, pepper, dry thyme, and a dash of Maggi cube or bouillon seasoning

How to Make Gluten-free Thanksgiving Stuffing with Plantains and Sausage:

1. Wash all the vegetables; onions, bell peppers, and green onions. Then use the food processor to chop the bell peppers and onions. 
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, allow to heat up, and add chopped bell pepper-onion blend. Cook until the liquid visibly reduces, about 2 – 3 minutes. Season with a dash of salt, pepper, and dry thyme. Add a dash of Maggi cube or bouillon seasoning as well.
4. Stir in the sausage and cook until no longer pink and fully cooked. Finish with green onions if using it. Taste for flavors and set aside.
5. Wash plantain and dry with a paper towel to remove external dirt, peel off the skin, and gently slice through the middle to half (please check photos). Place halved plantains on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a little salt and olive oil (use oil spray if available). 
6. Bake plantains for 15 – 20 minutes on each side or until a little golden. (Please see the photos.) 
7. Allow plantains to cool for about 5 minutes after you remove them from the oven. Then add them to the food processor. Chop them into little chunks or however, you desire. I like to see a bit of a chunk (in those days, my mother would use pestle and mortar to break them.) 
8. Add the chopped plantains to a big bowl, add the sautéed (well-seasoned) sausage, coconut milk, broth, and dried cranberries. Also, add fresh rosemary, chopped sage leaves, curry powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper, or ground red pepper. As well as salt, Maggi or Bouillon seasoning, then use a spatula to combine very well. Taste and adjust flavors appropriately, and then finally mix in the eggs.

Bake Same Day or Freeze for Later:

1. Spray/grease a baking dish. Gently scoop this paleo stuffing mixture in your baking dish, place a couple sage stuffing, and bake for 30 minutes or until fully cooked. I like to do a “toothpick check.” Make sure not to over bake this, or they make become dry. Alternatively, you can freeze this stuffing and bake another time! 
2. If you wish to bake these in muffins cups instead, use an ice cream measure to scoop them into the muffin cups and bake for only 22 – 25 minutes, or until fully cooked.

How to Store the Leftover:

We rarely have leftover of this paleo stuffing; however, this stuffing keeps so well in the fridge. However, you can always store the leftover in the fridge for 4 – 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Plantain Stuffing FAQs

Well, enough said, let’s make this dish.

Best Gluten-free Thanksgiving Stuffing with Plantains and Sausage:

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MORE HOLIDAY SIDE DISHES TO TRY:

• Braised Red Cabbage with Apples.
• Healthy baked Brussels Sprouts.
• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
• Nigerian Party Jollof Rice.
• Healthier Honey Cornbread.
• Nigerian Fried Rice.
• Shredded Beet Salad.
• Air fryer Broccoli
• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash!

Main Dishes to Pair with This Stuffing:

• Juicy Roasted Turkey

• Best Turkey Breast Recipe

• Roast Leg of Lamb

• Oven-baked Orange Glazed Turkey Breast

• Marinated Turkey Legs

Are you hosting this holiday season? If yes, let me know how I can help!😊

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