Stuffing Muffins
Photo by Mark Weinberg
MAKES
12 muffins
TAKES
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
This is not a regular stuffing recipe baked in muffin pans, but rather a muffin designed to taste like the best parts of stuffing: crispy parts and soft parts, meaty flavors, and aromatic herby flavors too. Sure, these could replace the stuffing in a classic Thanksgiving dinner, but they are a great savory, comforting alternative to regular dinner rolls alongside soup, or just about any meal.
INGREDIENTS
Filling
28 g / 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
220 g / 1 medium yellow onion, diced
150 g / 3 stalks celery, diced
10 g / 2 cloves garlic, minced
13 g / ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 g / 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 g / 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 g / 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Muffin Batter
60 g / ⅓ cup neutral oil (such as safflower or vegetable)
113 g / 2 large eggs, at room temperature
345 g / 1 ½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
120 g / 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
32 g / ¼ cup cornemeal
30 g / ¼ cup whole wheat flour
11 g / 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
2 g / ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 g / ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
38 g / ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
Soaking Glaze
280 g / ¾ cup (10 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
45 g / 3 tablespoons bouillon base (see Note)
Craving Something Savory?
METHOD
1. Make the filling: In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until fairly tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Make the muffins: Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C with an oven rack in the center. Lightly grease the cavities of a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, and buttermilk to combine.
4. In another medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a silicone spatula to combine. Gently fold in the cooled onion/celery mixture.
5. Using a ¼ cup / #16 scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cavity just over three-quarters full. Top each muffin with 3 g / 1 tablespoon panko.
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F / 190°C.
7. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the bouillon base.
8. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and grease the muffin pan with nonstick spray again. One at a time, dip each muffin briefly, top side down and about three quarters ofthe way into the soaking glaze and then return to the muffin pan.
9. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 8 minutes more, until the muffins are dry and crisp on the surface. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and serve warm.
NOTES
Find bouillon base near the soups and broths in your grocery store - I use Better Than Bouillon brand.
You can use any flavor of bouillon base to make these muffins:
Using vegetable base will keep them vegetarian.
Using beef, turkey, or chicken will give you meatier notes in the final “stuffing” muffins.
These muffins are best eaten warm, immediately after baking.
I like to refresh leftover muffins in a toaster oven.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
