Roasted Vegetable “Stuffing” Recipe
servings: 8
All the cozy, herb-butter flavor of classic stuffing, made entirely with roasted vegetables instead of bread.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 2 small onions diced
- 4-5 celery stalks diced
- 1-2 carrots diced
- 13 oz cubed butternut squash about 2–2½ cups
- 1 lb mushrooms sliced
Seasoned Butter
- 8 tablespoons salted butter 1 stick
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crushed between your fingers
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch celery seed optional but recommended
- Pinch nutmeg
Finishing
- 1-3 tablespoons chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon sugar or maple syrup or splash of apple cider optional tiny sweetness for "cornbread" warmth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a large roasting pan or sheet pan with parchment or lightly oil it.
Sauté the aromatics:
- Melt 2–3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet.
- Add the diced onions and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in the carrots and cook 2 minutes more.
Prepare the seasoned butter:
- Melt the remaining butter and stir in the sage, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, celery seed, and nutmeg.
- Heat just until fragrant.
Combine everything:
- Add the sautéed vegetables to a large bowl along with the mushrooms and butternut squash.
- Pour the seasoned butter over the top and toss to coat thoroughly.
Roast:
- Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the roasting pan.
- Roast for 25–35 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the squash is tender and the edges are beginning to brown.
- For extra crisp bits, increase the heat to 425°F for the last 5–8 minutes.
Finish with broth:
- While the vegetables are still hot, drizzle 1–3 tablespoons chicken broth over the pan.
- Loosely tent with foil for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld and soften slightly.
Taste and adjust:
- Add a tiny bit of sugar or maple syrup only if you want that subtle Pepperidge-Farm cornbread sweetness.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Use crushed rosemary for better flavor distribution. Whole needles stay too firm.
- Mushrooms absorb salt, so seasoning early is important.
- If you prefer more sweetness (like traditional cornbread stuffing), increase the squash to 3–4 cups.
- Want more crispy edges? Use two sheet pans so the vegetables aren’t crowded.