When I was in my twenties, I lived with two roommates in a massive house on top of Mount Washington in Pittsburgh. We had an open door policy – it was always open. And there was always people there. I loved that on a random Tuesday night friends would just stop by to have a smoke on the front porch – and we would all sit up for hours laughing and sharing stories. Or you would wake up on Saturday morning to find a few extras passed out on your couch that led to elaborate story telling over a soul searching brunch to cure the hangover.

Now ten years later living in NYC alone, it’s much more quiet. I miss the hours of laughter and late night stories over a glass of wine and a cigarette on hot summer nights on our front porch.

That is why during the holidays, I now go all out for Friendsgiving and holiday festivities. There is still an art to breaking bread, and it should be cherished and enjoyed – in ways that are so fulfilling it fills your soul along with your stomach.

And what is more comforting and happy that carbs – stuffing to be exact. So this holiday season, I wanted to focus on a recipe that was simple and would bring smiles. And that I did. This stuffing was SO GOOD, we literally kept eating the leftovers until our stomachs hurt. And then it was gone.

And there is no better glory than feeling like a chef in your own home – and that’s why my secret ingredient is real chef-preferred.

Spreading a little goodness this holiday season to family, friends, and followers!

Any real baker will tell you that what makes a dish really stand out are the quality of ingredients you put in. You can really tell a difference in Hero Fruit Spreads. Professional chefs know that in order to craft gourmet desserts and savory glazes, sauces and other delicacies, you require high-quality fruit content, and unique flavor varieties (and who knew you could actually pick up Hero Fruit Spread right in your local supermarket’s jam aisle?!).

Hero Black Cherry Stuffing

This year I chose a black cherry stuffing because I love to mix my plate during Thanksgiving, and have always enjoyed cranberry sauce on top of the potatoes and stuffing and thought –why not ADD it in? Hero Black Cherry Fruit Spread is full of pump, whole cherries (minus the bad stuff like artificial flavors, colors or ingredients, high fructose corn syrup and preservatives!), so just adding the fruit spread to the actual recipe gives it a sweet and tart contrast to the savory stuffing.

Ingredients:

1 jar Hero Black Cherry Fruit Spread

2 loves French Bread ripped into pieces and laid out the dry for one full day

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 ½ cups celery, chopped

2 ½ cups chicken stock

2 eggs

2 sticks of butter

1 bunch of fresh Thyme

1 bunch of fresh Rosemary

1 bunch of fresh Italian Parsley

2 leaves fresh Sage, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Make sure the bread is ripped up and laid out to dry for at one full day. The crumbs must be hard to make sure the stuffing doesn’t turn to mush. If they aren’t dry, you can pop them into the over at 275 degrees for a few minutes prior to cooking (or whatever temperature you’re cooking your meat).
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Start by cooking the onions and celery with 1 stick of butter until they start to caramelize and turn brown. Add to the large bowl of bread crumbs.
4. Chop up and add the parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary.
5. Add 1 ½ cups of the chicken stock and ¾ jar of the Hero Black Cherry Fruit Spread and toss to coat everything.
6. Scramble two eggs in a small bowl and add the remaining chicken stock. Pour over the bread crumbs and re-toss to coat, and pour into casserole dish.
7. Place small chunks of the remaining butter on top of the stuffing and cover with foil.
8. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes while the top crunches and browns. Keep checking it to pull it out when you are ready.
9. While the stuffing is baking, heat the remaining Hero Black Cherry Fruit Spread in a small stock pot on the stovetop.
10. Once the stuffing is done, drizzle the liquefied fruit spread over the top of the serving dish to give it that extra bit of sweetness.

Why I Prefer Hero Fruit Spreads

Hero has been pleasing palates since 1886 in Lenzburg, Switzerland, and has since become the gold standard of Gourmet Fruit Spreads around the world. I guarantee you won’t go back to ordinary jams and jellies once you’ve tasted a fruit spread.

Want to find more HeroUSA recipes and ideas to use with their fruit spreads? You can see my Black Cherry Pork Loin recipe from last year, and visit their website for a list of even more ideas here.

And while you’re at it, you can pick up some of their fruit spreads including black currant, bitter orange, black cherry, apricot, strawberry, blueberry and forest berry in these local markets: Shop Rite, Stop & Shop, ACME, King Kullen, Key Food, Kings, Balducci’s, Fairway, Shaw’s, Market Basket, Price Chopper, Ralph’s, HEB, Harris Teeter and Giant Eagle.

 

In partnership with HeroUSA.