Cranberry Pecan Slow Cooker Dressing

With the festive flavours of sweet, dried cranberries and the nutty crunch of pecans, this easy and delicious Slow Cooker Dressing is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser at any holiday gathering. This hands-off method allows you to focus on other preparations and frees up valuable oven space while the stuffing slowly cooks to perfection. 

Who knew there were so many ways to make dressing?! My family loves them all, sometimes even more than the turkey itself. I usually end up making two different kinds, one ‘experiment’ and always our family favourite Stuffing Balls. They’re especially delicious when dipped into turkey gravy and homemade Cranberry Sauce.

Cranberry Pecan Slow Cooker Dressing

My family of turkey stuffing enthusiasts always encourage me to try new recipes out for Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone says that they’d much rather have two kinds of stuffing on the table than a green bean casserole and I agree. Not that there’s anything wrong with this classic casserole, but we’d much rather be eating bread stuffing.

Now, I’m not here to debate on the old stuffing vs. dressing debate. Whether or not you stuff your turkey is up to you. However, I prefer to make dressing alongside the turkey. If a dressing recipe contains enough butter, poultry seasoning, and chicken stock it can be just as delicious as a stuffing.

However, during the holidays, oven space is in high demand and there isn’t enough room to bake the dressing separately. This slow cooker stuffing recipe is the solution to the holiday oven space dilemma! 

What I like about this method is the gentle heat of the slow cooker infuses the bread cubes with savoury herbs, and the steam ensures a tender interior, while creating delightfully crisp edges around the bottom and sides. We all LOVE those crispy edges, am I right?!

Slow Cooker vs. Crock Pot

The terms ‘crock pot’ and ‘slow cooker’ are often used interchangeably because there is no real difference between the two kitchen appliances. The names are simply a result of marketing. Whichever name you prefer is likely due to which brand you grew up with or prefer.

Both gadgets consist of an outer metal layer, a bottom heating element, a ceramic insert, and lid. However, the amount of temperature settings may vary. At minimum, there is a low and high temperature setting option.

Crock Pots and Slow Cookers are used to cook meals, fruit butters, and beverages with humidity over low heat for a long amount of time. This ‘hands off’ cooking appliance is an incredibly handy tool for busy cooks.

Ingredients for Cranberry Pecan Slow Cooker Dressing

This slow cooker stuffing recipe contains all the classic stuffing ingredients: dried bread cubes, celery onion, poultry seasoning, and chicken broth plus tart and tangy dried cranberries and crunchy pecans. it really couldn’t be simpler.

• Celery
• Onion
• Butter
• Eggs
• Poultry Seasoning
• Black Pepper
• Chicken Stock
• French Bread
• Stuffing Mix
• Pecans
• Dried Cranberries

Most of these are standard dressing ingredients except for the cranberries, pecans, and additional stuffing mix. Feel free to omit these last three ingredients, and add more poultry seasoning, salt and freshly ground black pepper as seasoning.

If you don’t have poultry seasoning, make your own using a combination of dried sage, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme.

Other substitutions include vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, walnuts instead of pecans, croissants or brioche instead of French bread and even leftover cornbread to make cornbread dressing.

If you like a more substantial stuffing, feel free to add browned sausage to the stuffing.

How to Make Cranberry Pecan Slow Cooker Dressing

Begin this stuffing recipe by sautéing the vegetables until they just begin to soften. Place chopped celery, onion and 1/4 cup butter in a medium sauté pan. Cook vegetables on medium low heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they just start to soften.

Next use olive oil to grease the inside of slow cooker insert with your hands or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. This will make it easier to remove the stuffing from the slow cooker.

Whisk the eggs, poultry seasoning, pepper and 2 1/2 cups chicken stock together in a large bowl then add the torn French bread, chopped pecans, and dried cranberries.

Stir everything together well to ensure all the bread has soaked up the liquid. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the slow cooker. Cook Slow Cooker Dressing on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Leftover Storage and Reheating

Allow dressing to reach room temperature before placing in a storage container. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The best way to reheat stuffing depends on your desired texture. If you like moist and tender stuffing, add broth and cover with foil before baking in a 350 F oven for 20-30 minutes. To make it crispier, remove the foil during the last 15-20 minutes of baking or finish with a broil. 

Alternatively, you can quickly pan-fry flattened lumps of stuffing until golden-brown for a crispy outside. 

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul behind Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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