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Ready to shake up your holiday menu with something both delicious and low-carb? Meet our ‘Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing with Pork, Sage, and Cranberries.’ It’s got all the good stuff – juicy pork, fresh sage, and a pop of cranberries – and none of the carb overload.
Who says you can’t stick to your keto plan during the holidays? With this stuffing, you’ll bring a new favorite to the table, perfect for Thanksgiving or a cozy Christmas dinner. It’s all the yumminess of traditional stuffing, minus the carbs. So, let’s get cooking and make this holiday season tastier and healthier!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Keto-Friendly: Fits right into your low-carb diet without any guilt.
- Flavor-Packed: The combo of pork, sage, and cranberries brings a festive punch.
- Easy to Make: No complicated steps, just straightforward and fun cooking.
- Versatile: Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any winter celebration.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Even those not on a keto diet will ask for seconds!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Heads up: For exact measurements, see the recipe card below.
Whipping up this Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing is super simple, and you just need a handful of ingredients to get started. Here’s what you’ll need for that perfect festive side dish:
- Cooking Fat: Just a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or ghee for sautéing.
- Low-Carb Bread: The base of our low-carb stuffing. These Keto Bread Rolls are the recipe you will need.
- Onion: For that classic stuffing flavor.
- Ground Pork (Pork Mince): The star ingredient, bringing in the protein.
- Sage: They add a fragrant holiday aroma. Fresh sage leaves are best but dried will work too.
- Bacon: Because everything’s better with bacon!
- Lemon Zest: A touch of zest for a fresh twist. Make sure to use organic.
- Zucchini: Adds texture and nutrients.
- Dried Cranberries: Go for the sugar-free kind. You can easily make your own Sugar-Free Cranberries.
- Macadamia Nuts: A nutty addition for extra crunch.
- Chicken Stock: Brings it all together and keeps it moist.
- Salt and Pepper: Just a pinch to season it up.
Absolutely! Feel free to use pecans or blanched almonds instead. Or, if nuts aren’t your thing, you can simply skip them.
No worries! Beef is a great alternative that works just as well in this recipe.
Sure thing! Rosemary is a fantastic herb that can give a similar aromatic touch to your stuffing. Feel free to experiment with other herbs you like too.
How To Make Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing
Prep Bread Rolls. If you don’t have any, prepare the Low-Carb Bread Rolls (you can skip the seed topping if you prefer to). Making the bread rolls will take an extra hour so it’s good to make these ahead. They can be stored frozen for months!
Prep the Onion and Bacon. Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C) fan-assisted, or 400°F (200°C) conventional. Then, peel and chop the onion (or use a food processor to blitz into small pieces). Next, finely chop one slice of bacon. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion over low heat for about 5 – 7 minutes, until it’s nice and soft. Once done, remove it from the heat and set aside.
Bread Prep. Turn the prepared bread rolls into breadcrumbs. Blitz one until you’ve got fine crumbs. Chop the rest into small croutons, about ½ inch (1 cm) in diameter – these will add a lovely crunch to your stuffing.
Mix the Stuffing. Grate the zucchini. Then, using a muslin cloth or just your hands, squeeze out as much water as you can. This helps keep your stuffing from getting soggy. In a big bowl, mix together the pork mince, chopped sage, cooked onion, chopped bacon, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, grated zucchini, most of the cranberries, and macadamias. Season it with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and then get your hands in there to mix it well!
Assemble and Bake. Transfer the stuffing mix to a heatproof casserole dish, pressing it down to the edges. Then, rub the remaining croutons with olive oil and sprinkle them over the top, along with the rest of the cranberries and macadamias. Finally, lay the remaining bacon slices on top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Mix and Finish. After 30 minutes, take the dish out of the oven, remove the bacon, and give the stuffing a gentle fluff with a fork. Pour in the stock, fluff again, then lay the bacon back on top. Return it to the oven for another 20 minutes, until it’s golden and irresistible.
Tips for Best Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing
- Don’t Rush the Onion: Give the onion enough time to soften in the pan. This brings out its natural sweetness and adds great flavor to the stuffing.
- Squeeze That Zucchini: Make sure to squeeze out as much water as possible from the grated zucchini, so the stuffing is not too wet.
- Bacon Is Key: Who doesn’t love bacon? It adds a rich flavor, so make sure to layer it on top for that extra yum.
- Let It Rest: Once out of the oven, let your stuffing sit for a few minutes. This helps all the flavors meld together beautifully.
Storage Instructions
Got leftovers? No problem. Your stuffing will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container to keep it fresh and tasty. To reheat, pop it back in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until it’s warmed through. This helps keep the texture nice and prevents it from drying out.
Absolutely! If you want to save some for later, this stuffing freezes beautifully. Just wrap it up tightly or use a freezer-safe container. It’ll stay good for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, just thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat.
In a nutshell, stuffing is usually cooked inside the bird, soaking up all those tasty juices, while dressing is baked separately in its own dish. Our recipe is technically a dressing since we bake it in a casserole dish, but hey, whatever you call it, it’s going to be a hit at your holiday table!
How to Serve This Holiday Stuffing
Ready to serve up your Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing? Here’s how to make it the star of your meal:
- Perfect Pairing with Proteins: This stuffing goes amazingly well with roasted turkey, chicken, or even a nice slice of glazed ham. Its savory flavors complement these proteins perfectly.
- Add a Side of Greens: Balance your plate with some steamed green beans, a crisp salad, or roasted Brussels sprouts for a complete low-carb feast.
- Great with Gravy: Don’t forget the gravy! A low-carb gravy can really tie the whole meal together.
- Creative Leftovers: If you have any stuffing left over, it’s fantastic in stuffed peppers or as a topping for a savory keto breakfast bowl.
Tools for Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing
- Electric Mixer: This comes in handy for preparing your keto bread if you’re making it from scratch. It helps to get that perfect texture for the bread base of your stuffing.
- Large Casserole Dish: The star tool of this recipe! You’ll need a good-sized casserole dish to mix and bake your stuffing to perfection.
- Food Processor (Optional): While not a must-have, a food processor can save you time and effort, especially when it comes to finely chopping that onion, or grating the zucchini. If you don’t have one, a good old knife and chopping board will do the trick!
Low-Carb Holiday Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin, or ghee)
- ½ recipe Low-Carb Bread Rolls (5 bread rolls)
- 1 large brown onion
- 1.1 lbs ground pork (pork mince)
- few leaves fresh sage leaves
- 6 bacon (thin-cut slices)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (about ½ organic lemon)
- ½ medium zucchini (grated)
- 5 tbsp dried cranberries (without added sugar)
- ⅓ cup macadamia nuts
- ½ cup chicken stock (or chicken broth, or bone broth)
- good pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Make the Low-Carb Bread Rolls as per our recipe. This will take an extra hour so it's always best to make these ahead and freeze for later!
- Set your oven to
355 °F (180 °C), or 400 °F (200 °C). - Peel and finely chop the onion, either by hand or using a food processor. In a pan, heat olive oil and sauté the onion on low heat until soft, about 5 – 7 minutes. Then, set aside.
- Finely chop a slice of bacon (keep the rest of the slices for topping). Turn one bun into breadcrumbs using a food processor, and cut the rest into small croutons.
- Grate the zucchini and squeeze out excess water. Combine pork mince, sage, cooked onion, chopped bacon, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, grated zucchini, most of the sugar-free cranberries, and macadamias in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the mix to a casserole dish, pressing down. Mix remaining croutons with butter and scatter on top, along with the rest of the cranberries and macadamias. Top with remaining bacon slices.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, fluff the stuffing, add stock, then bake for another 20 minutes until golden.
Nutrition
Notes
- Serving Size: About 1 ½ cups (served as a side), or more if served as a main course.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven for best results.
- Serving Suggestion: Pair this stuffing with roast turkey, chicken, pork, or as a standalone low-carb holiday dish.
- Sugar-Free Cranberries: If you can’t find sugar-free cranberries, here’s how to make your own.
- Easy Subs: Swap macadamia nuts with pecans or almonds, or skip them. Use beef instead of pork if preferred. Rosemary can replace sage for a different aroma.
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Wow, Martina! This looks so yummy. I can’t wait to try it. Out of curiosity, do you think swapping out bacon for another type of meat would work just as well? Thanks!
Thank you! I guess you could try some Spanish chorizo or other type of hard sausage.