Cranberry bacon stuffing
Cranberry bacon stuffing is a festive side of crispy bacon, sweet dried cranberries, fresh sage and toasted almonds bound with day-old bread. The Thermomix chops, grinds and mixes everything in one bowl, delivering a moist yet crumbly stuffing with a lovely sweet-savoury balance, ideal alongside roast poultry at Christmas or Sunday lunch.
About this recipe
Cranberry bacon stuffing Thermomix TM7 style brings a festive Christmas favourite to your all-in-one kitchen machine with minimal effort. This recipe pairs smoky shortcut bacon with sweet dried cranberries, woodsy fresh sage and toasted blanched almonds, all folded through buttery cubes of day-old bread moistened with a splash of tangy verjuice. The TM7 handles every step in one mixing bowl: the onion and garlic clove are chopped finely without tears, the almonds are ground to a rustic crumb, and the seasoned bread mixture is blended evenly ready for the oven. The result is a stuffing with a golden crust and a soft, savoury interior studded with jewel-like cranberries, perfect as a side for roast turkey, chicken or a holiday pork loin. If you have been searching for cranberry bacon stuffing recipes that come together quickly, this version proves why the Thermomix TM7 has become the go-to appliance for festive side dishes and stress-free Christmas entertaining.
Preparation tips
- Use day-old bread that is slightly stale, as fresh bread turns gluey when mixed; tear it into rough cubes the night before and leave it uncovered so it dries out and absorbs the butter and verjuice beautifully.
- Taste the mixture after combining and adjust the sea salt carefully, because the bacon already brings plenty of saltiness; add the sage gradually too, as its flavour intensifies during baking.
- This stuffing can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated unbaked; alternatively, roll spoonfuls into balls and bake around the roast so the edges crisp up while the centres stay moist and fragrant with cranberry.
Recipe variations
- For a vegetarian version, replace the bacon with smoked paprika-diced mushrooms sautéed in the butter, keep the cranberries, sage and almonds, and use vegetable stock instead of verjuice for a savoury depth that still pairs with any roast.
- For a festive Christmas twist, add a grate of orange zest and a handful of chopped chestnuts to the bread mixture, then bake in a buttered wreath mould for a show-stopping seasonal centrepiece stuffed with cranberry and sage flavours.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Fast chopping - The Thermomix chops the onion and garlic clove in seconds without tears, giving the stuffing an aromatic base. [Chopping]. [Time Savings]
- Fresh grinding - The TM7 grinds the blanched almonds into a rustic crumb that adds texture to every cranberry-studded spoonful. [Grinding]. [Multi-Function]
- Even mixing - The Thermomix blends the bread, bacon and sage into a uniform stuffing mixture without crushing the cranberries. [Mixing]. [Multi-Function]
- Gentle heating - The TM7 melts the butter and reduces the verjuice at a controlled low temperature so the flavours infuse evenly. [Heating]. [Precision Control]
- Built-in scale - Weigh the day-old bread and cranberries directly in the mixing bowl for consistent stuffing proportions every time. [Weighing]. [Time Savings]
Ingredients
- garlic clove
- brown onion
- shortcut bacon rashers
- butter
- dried cranberries
- fresh sage
- verjuice
- blanched almonds
- day old bread
- sea salt