Sage Dressing with Swiss Chard

This sage dressing is the perfect side dish for your holiday spread. It’s a no-fuss recipe that is also moist, full of flavor, and can be made days ahead of your event. The earthy sage pairs beautifully with the hearty greens like Swiss chard, kale or mustard greens.

I love Thanksgiving. Love it, love it, LOVE IT! I love the fact that this holiday does not involve gifts. It does not involve religion. And more importantly, it is all about counting your blessings and being with your loved ones.

I also love all the flavors of the Thanksgiving dinner. I love all that crispy skin on my spatchcocked turkey. I adore my cranberry pomegranate sauce. I pile on heaps of my twice baked squash on my plate, along with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans.

And I especially love stuffing.

Why my family absolutely loves this recipe

My mother is a great cook and being Persian, we would also have some Persian rice on our Thanksgiving table. But she also made a mean stuffing. None of that boxed stuff and none of that dry, suck-the-water-right-out-of-your-mouth kinda stuffing.

It’s moist stuffing that has plenty of celery in it and lots of sage. YUM!

This sage stuffing is my version of the classic stuffing I grew up with. I have made it a little more healthy with the use of whole wheat bread (sometimes even low carb bread) and the addition of Swiss chard.

And you know what? It still tastes amazing!

The fresh sage really adds so much aroma and flavor to this dish. I do not add sausage or any meat to my dressing because the turkey or roast I usually serve it with is the star of the show – in my opinion.

I also do NOT toast or dry out my bread cubes prior to making my dressing. It’s not necessary and honestly a moist stuffing is much preferred. AND you can easily make this a day or two before you serve it. It really is the perfect side dish for your holiday spread!

Ingredients needed

• Bread: I have used both whole wheat bread and regular white bread for this dressing recipe. Both work great, so feel free to use whatever bread your family likes to eat.
• Onion: A regular yellow onion works great, but you can also use white or sweet Vidalia onions.
• Celery: It wouldn’t be a dressing without the delicious crunch of celery!
• Garlic: I use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
• Greens: I seem to always grow Swiss chard in the garden and have it on hand. But you can also use kale, collard or mustard greens. I have also tried it with Japanese mustard greens, Mizuna, and it was delicious!
• Fresh sage: This is where the flavor really shines. I have grown sage in my garden for ten years, now. The plant is huge and easy to grow and gives my dishes so much wonderful aroma and flavor.
• Broth: I usually use chicken broth, but you can also use turkey or vegetable broth.
• Poultry seasoning: For extra flavor, I like to add some poultry seasoning to the bread cubes. It’s a great way add a little more pop to your dressing. This is optional.
• Salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

1. Sauté the celery. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and celery. Cook until vegetables start to soften, approximately 7 minutes.
2. Add chard. Add garlic, Swiss chard, salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 more minutes.
3. Add bread. Mix in bread cubes and fresh sage. If using poultry seasoning, sprinkle it over the bread cubes, then mix well.
4. Add broth. Pour in chicken broth and stir to combine.
5. Bake. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes. You can also put stuffing in a 9 x 11 Pyrex dish and bake at 350ºF for 30-40 minutes. Cover with foil to keep moist. If you like a crispier stuffing, keep uncovered.

Expert tips and recipe FAQs

The key to simple dishes having so much flavor is the quality of your ingredients. Fresh sage really is a must in this dish. Yes, you could use dried sage, but fresh sage has tremendous flavor on it’s own. Even if you don’t grow your own herbs, you easily find fresh sage in the produce department of mosts grocery stores.

This is also a great recipe that does not contain eggs or dairy, in case you have vegans or family members with food allergies. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth and it is a vegan dish. You can use gluten free bread, too. I have even made this with store bought keto bread – just use a little less broth as low carb bread can fall apart with too much moisture.

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Sage Dressing with Swiss Chard

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

This sage dressing is the perfect side dish for your holiday spread. It's a no-fuss recipe that is also moist, full of flavor, and can be made days ahead of your event. The earthy sage pairs beautifully with the hearty greens like Swiss chard, kale or mustard greens.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Side Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 bunch of celery chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 4 oz swiss chard chopped
• 1 loaf of bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh sage
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cup chicken or turkey broth
• ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning optional

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Instructions

 

• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and celery. Cook until vegetables start to soften, approximately 7 minutes.
• Add garlic, Swiss chard, salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 more minutes.
• Mix in bread cubes and fresh sage. If using poultry seasoning, sprinkle it over the bread cubes, then mix well.
• Pour in chicken broth and stir to combine.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes. You can also put stuffing in a 9 x 11 Pyrex dish and bake at 350ºF for 30-40 minutes. Cover with foil to keep moist. If you like a crispier stuffing, keep uncovered.
• If preparing ahead of event, transfer to a baking dish, cover and refrigerate. About 30 minutes prior to serving, warm in a 350ºF oven until heated through.

Notes

I have made this dressing with whole wheat as well as regular white bread. You can use any bread you like.

I do not toast my bread first, as I like a moist dressing. If you are using toasted or dried bread cubes, you will need more broth.

For a vegetarian stuffing, use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

TO STORE: Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup

Keyword sage dressing, sage stuffing

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