Best 2 Cranberry Stuffing Balls Recipes

If you're looking for a delicious and festive dish to serve at your next holiday gathering, cranberry stuffing balls are a perfect choice. These bite-sized morsels are made with a combination of cooked rice, ground meat, cranberries, and seasonings, then rolled into balls and baked until golden brown. They're a great way to use up leftover rice and cranberries, and they're sure to be a hit with your guests.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

CRANBERRY STUFFING BALLS

Cranberry Stuffing Balls image

Meet the Cook: If you're looking for a different stuffing this year, you'll find these balls are both tasty and easy to prepare. Cooking has been a favorite pastime of mine since my husband and I retired (I used to operate a beauty salon). We had 80 acres and kept 2-1/2 of them to build our new country home on. -Bernadine Dirmeyer, Harpster, Ohio

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Side Dishes

Time 45m

Yield 8-10 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 package (7 ounces) herb-seasoned stuffing croutons
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, halved
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 to 1-1/2 cups chicken broth

Steps:

In a skillet, cook sausage, celery and onion until sausage is done and vegetables are tender. Drain excess fat. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with remaining ingredients and enough broth to hold mixture together. Shape into 8-10 balls. Place in a greased shallow baking dish. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts :

KITTENCAL'S HOLIDAY CRANBERRY STUFFING BALLS

Kittencal's Holiday Cranberry Stuffing Balls image

This may easily be doubled and I suggest that you do so, your guests will be devouring these instead of the turkey or roast! If you like lots of sage flavor then you might want to add in some dried sage to the stuffing mixture --- plan ahead the mixture must be chilled for a minimum of 2 hours before shaping into balls, make certain to crumble the pork very finely while browning, also make certain to finely chop the onion and celery, it will make shaping the balls easier --- servings is only estimated it will depend on the size you shape the balls, prep time includes 2 hour chilling time. If desired you can also fry these in a little butter in a skillet, just flatten the balls slightly before frying, omit drizzling or brushing the balls with butter if you are frying them in butter --- also see recipe #65208

Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz

Categories Vegetable

Time 3h10m

Yield 12-15 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

3/4 lb small pork sausage (or use Italian sausages, casings removed)
3 tablespoons butter (can use a bit more)
1 small onion (very finely chopped)
1 small celery, finely chopped
1 -2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (optional or to taste)
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (or use 1/2 cup regular chicken broth and 1/4 cup water)
1 (120 g) package turkey stuffing mix
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen, finely chopped)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
seasoning salt (optional and to taste) or white salt (optional and to taste)
melted butter

Steps:

Remove the sausage from casings, then place the sausage in a skillet; brown over medium heat breaking up the meat into very small pieces while cooking (about 8 minutes) set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the same skillet; add in onion and celery; sauté for about 5-6 minutes or until very soft (adding in the garlic the last 2 minutes of cooking).
Add in the cooked sausage back to the skillet, then add in the chicken broth; bring just to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet, then place the sausage/onion mixture into a large bowl.
Add in the stuffing mixture packet along with the chopped cranberries, Parmesan cheese and eggs; mix until well combined.
Season with lots of black pepper and a little salt.
Cover and chill the mixture for about 2 hours.
Using moistened hands form the mixture into small even balls and place the balls into a shallow greased casserole dish.
If you find that the mixture is too moist and will not hold together well just add in a little dried bread crumbs, if it is too dry add in more broth or water, add in just enough to hold the balls together when shaped.
Brush or drizzle the balls with melted butter.
At this point you can cover the balls and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to bake later.
Set oven to 350°F.
Bake covered loosely with foil or bake uncovered (the balls with be more crispy on the outside if baked uncovered) for about 12-15 minutes (the baking time will vary slightly, it will depend on the size you shape the balls).

Tips:

Use fresh cranberries: Fresh cranberries have a tart and juicy flavor that is perfect for stuffing. If you can't find fresh cranberries, you can use frozen cranberries that have been thawed.
Make sure the bread is dry: The bread should be dry so that it can absorb the moisture from the other ingredients. If the bread is too moist, the stuffing will be mushy.
Use a variety of herbs and spices: Herbs and spices add flavor to the stuffing. Some common herbs and spices to use include sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and onion.
Don't overstuff the balls: Overstuffed balls will be difficult to cook evenly. The stuffing should be packed tightly, but not so tightly that it is dense.
Bake the balls at a high temperature: Baking the balls at a high temperature will help them to brown and crisp. The ideal temperature is 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Conclusion:

Cranberry stuffing balls are a delicious and festive side dish that is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. They are easy to make and can be customized to your liking. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a dish that will impress your family and friends.