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Nothing completes a Sunday roast of Christmas dinner like gluten free stuffing - or more importantly, mygluten free stuffing balls wrapped in bacon.
Packed with sausage meat, chopped walnuts and dried apricots, these gluten free stuffing balls are the perfect mix of sweet and salty.
They're delicately flavoured with thyme and wrapped in streaky bacon for the perfect gluten free side dish for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner.
How to make gluten free stuffing
Ever thought making gluten free stuffing was difficult to make? Well think again!
All you need to make gluten free stuffing balls are a few simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes.
Mixing together the stuffing mix, shaping it into balls and wrapping in bacon is a great activity for younger ones to help with making a roast dinner too.
It's a great side dish to delegate to someone if you don't want to make it yourself.
But that being said, it's so easy to make and you can even make these ahead of time too.
Either make these gluten free stuffing balls a day or two ahead and keep in the fridge ready to cook, or freeze them ahead of time.
Can I freeze these gluten free stuffing balls?
Yes, you absolutely can freeze these stuffing balls!
There are two options when it comes to making and freezing this gluten free stuffing.
The first is to freeze them uncooked - simply freeze them lose on a tray (so they don't stick together) and then transfer them to a tub or bag afterwards.
Defrost in the fridge overnight and then continue to cook them as per the recipe card below.
The second option is to cook the gluten free stuffing balls, cool completely and then freeze as above.
After defrosting overnight you can simply pop them in the oven to heat through (around 15-20 minutes) as you finish off the roast, ready to serve.
What do I make gluten free stuffing with?
Making my gluten free stuffing balls is simple and you really only need a few ingredients.
There's a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you'll need:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 600g gluten free sausage meat (or 10 gluten free sausages)
- 100g dried apricots (roughly chopped)
- 90g walnut halves (roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 4 slices gluten free bread
- Salt and pepper
- 12 rashers smoked streaky bacon
I just used a pack of 10 sausages to make this, but you can buy gluten free sausage meat if easier.
Gluten free sausages are pretty plentiful in most UK supermarkets so it's an easy and cheap option.
It also means you can choose a flavoured sausage if you wanted to add a twist to the recipe.
With the walnuts and apricots, feel free to use these or subtract if you'd rather.
I personally love the crunch and sweetness each of them adds but if you'd prefer to omit them, that's fine.
When it comes to the bacon I also prefer smoked streaky bacon, but you can use unsmoked if you'd rather.
Basically this gluten free stuffing mix is a great base, but feel free to amend it if you'd like to.
How to make gluten free stuffing balls
Once you've got the ingredients together, making these gluten free stuffing balls is really easy.
All-in-all, it only takes about 10 minutes of preparation before you can just whack them in the oven.
First you'll need to fry off the onions so they soften, before letting them cool slightly.
Chop the walnuts and apricots as little or large as you like them - I like them fairly chunky but you might prefer smaller pieces for hints of flavour.
Blitz the breadcrumbs in a food processor and then it's simply a case of mixing it all together.
I find it a lot easier to 'mush' it all together with my hands, but you could use a fork or spoon.
Once mixed it's a case of rolling them into balls and wrapping in bacon before either freezing them or baking them in the oven.
Making the perfect gluten free roast dinner
Whether you're whipping these up for a roast or an occasion, I have plenty of other inspiration on the blog.
You can make these along with my gluten free Yorkshire puddings before drowning the whole plate in gravy.
I love making a side of cauliflower cheese as well - it's the gift that keeps on giving as it's great for having the next day if there's any leftover.
If you have any leftover stuffing balls, they're amazing with cold meat in a sandwich the next day.
Or you can crumble them up to use in my gluten free Boxing Day Hash recipe for brunch.
Whatever you choose to do, I know you'll love it - and I've got more top tips for a gluten free roast dinner here too.
My gluten free stuffing balls recipe
Here it is, my easy gluten free stuffing balls wrapped in bacon - the ultimate treat!
They are perfect for a Sunday roast or Christmas or Thanksgiving meal, and great for making ahead and freezing.
This recipe makes enough for 12 good-sized stuffing balls and one or two per person should be plenty.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know bytagging me on my Instagramor using#theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And if you loved it, please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Yield: 12
Gluten Free Stuffing Balls with Bacon
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
These gluten free stuffing balls are packed with apricot and walnuts, wrapped in smoky streaked bacon. Great for freezing and making ahead - this recipe makes 12.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 600g gluten free sausage meat (or 10 gluten free sausages)
- 100g dried apricots (roughly chopped)
- 90g walnut halves (roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 4 slices gluten free bread
- Salt and pepper
- 12 rashers smoked streaky bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6.
- Add the oil and finely chopped onion to a frying pan and place on a medium-to-low heat. Gently fry the onions for around 4-5 minutes until soft, then remove from the heat to cool slightly.
- Add the sausage meat to a large bowl. If using sausages, remove the skins using a sharp knife - add the meat to the bowl and discard the skins.
- Add the chopped apricots, walnuts and dried thyme to the bowl. Place the bread slices in a food processor and blitz to form crumbs. Add the breadcrumbs to the sausage mixture.
- Generously season with salt and pepper then, using your hands, 'mush' the mixture together until it is fully combined.
- Divide the mixture into 12 and roll into balls. Wrap each ball with a rasher of streaky bacon then place on a baking tray - make sure the bit where the ends of the bacon meet goes at the bottom so it doesn't unravel!
- Place the stuffing balls in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the bacon is crispy and the meat is brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- These stuffing balls are great for making ahead of time - simply complete stages 1-6 and then freeze the stuffing balls on a tray. Once frozen, transfer to a bag or tub to store. Defrost overnight then cook as per stage 7.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 349Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 736mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 16g
Need some more gluten free meal inspiration?
If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free roast dinner recipes, why not try these?
- Gluten free Yorkshire puddings
- Gluten free roast potatoes
- Dairy free and gluten free gravy
- Gluten free cauliflower cheese
Giving this recipe a go? Let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them inmy Facebook groupor tag me onInstagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
Like this Gluten Free Stuffing recipe?
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