Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

How do you transform stuffing into a dish that’s gluten-free and vegan-friendly? Easy, just use <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/bread-in-a-blender">blender bread</a>!Blender bread is super easy to make, entirely gluten-free since it’s made with rice, and tasty in its own right; it has a porous crumb perfect for soaking up savory liquids; and it crisps up beautifully. The technical challenge of creating the creamy consistency provided by eggs, along with the structure provided by the proteins in eggs, is also taken care of by the blender bread: the starch from the rice combines with vegetable stock to create a creamy, gravy-like texture as the casserole cooks. Add in elements of the classic stuffing flavor profile—leeks, onions, and celery sweated in vegan butter, along with some savory and meaty mushrooms and a handful of herbs—and it checks all the boxes of a great stuffing: crispy top, creamy interior, so good it will outshine the bird. It doesn’t need a preface about ingredients and dietary restrictions; it’s stuffing that literally everyone will love.

Vegan Blender Bread Stuffing