Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing Balls

5 from 3 votes

Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing Balls

Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing Balls with a hint of sage and thyme, a delicious side dish for your Christmas roast. Golden and baked to perfection, these stuffing balls are bursting with festive flavours.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: balls

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

3 bread slices ( I used 50/50, but only white or wholemeal can be used too)
150 g chestnuts, ready-cooked (vacuum-packed chestnuts, 5.3 oz)
50 g dried cranberries (⅓ cup)
1 egg
1 onion
25 g butter ( 2 tbsp)
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme and sage

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
In a frying pan set over a medium heat, melt the butter, add the peeled and chopped onion, and fry until golden.
Add the seasoning and herbs and give it a good stir.
Add the bread slices to a food processor, and blitz until you get breadcrumbs.
Remove the breadcrumbs and blitz the chestnuts too to a similar texture.
In a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs, chestnuts, cranberries, onion mixture and beaten egg.
Mix well to get a sticky paste.
With wet hands, shape 14 balls - you can get more or less depending on their size.
Line a baking tray with non-stick paper, and arrange the stuffing balls.
Spray them lightly with cooking oil spray and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

Video

Notes

Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.

I find that using bread slices and then blitzing them in a food processor works far better than using shop-bought breadcrumbs. You get a nicer texture and stuffing balls that are nice and crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside.
You can chop the chestnuts finely using a sharp knife, but I recommend blitzing them too on a food processor or regular blender, you can much even texture.
The bread mixture can stick quite bad to your hands, so for even and perfectly round stuffing balls I recommend having a bowl with cold water close to you and wetting your hands to handle the mixture better.

Nutrition