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Oh my ~ I just discovered that fruitcake makes the best stuffing. It’s 97 degrees outside, the middle of June, and for some reason, I was in the mood for homemade stuffing (or dressing).
I traveled to Waco Saturday determined to create a “Plate of Waco.” I toured the Dr Pepper Museum, visited Collin Street Bakery and hit a few other hotspots.
The original bakery is in Corsicana, Texas, but there is also one on I-35 near Waco. I pass it all the time, and the large white building always intrigues me with its flashy sign that tantalizes me with the “World’s Best Chicken Salad” and the “Best Cookies on the Planet!”
Their chicken salad is very good served on a light and airy pecan bread.
What truly makes them famous though is their fruitcake. I am not a fan of fruitcake. My husband’s grandfather used to send us CSB fruitcake every Christmas. We had no idea that it was so famous. We immaturely turned our noses up at the heavy can and gifted it to friends year after year.
What a mistake. I later saw a Food Network video and learned why this cake is so special. It’s packed with the best fruits and nuts and then barely coated with a batter before being baked. After years of giving this cake away, I discovered that it was pretty darn good.
When I make stuffing, I usually add fruits and nuts, usually apples, raisins and pecans Well, this fruitcake already has wonderful fruits mixed in ~ papaya, pineapple, cherries, raisins and pecans.
The stuffing couldn’t stand on fruitcake alone, so I added 8 slices of the bakery’s pecan bread. You can use any bread, but if you have the opportunity to use pecan bread, it’s fabulous! It’s a light white bread with extra nuttiness.
I crumbled the fruitcake and toasted it while toasting the bread cubes. Then, I added sautéed onion and celery and a few herbs and chicken broth. 20 minutes in the oven and my oh my ~ this was the BEST stuffing I have ever had.
You could add meat, but it’s already so rich and flavorful, I don’t think it needs it. I realize stuffing might not be on your mind in June, and fruitcake isn’t sitting on the shelf at your grocer (although you might have a tin leftover on your shelf from Christmas), but I truly recommend you bookmark this recipe for the holidays.
Or better yet, order a tin from Collin Street Bakery, and surprise your guests by serving it alongside your next barbecue.
Collin Street Bakery Fruitcake Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 9- oz. tin Collin Street Bakery DeLuxe Fruitcake
- 4 cups 8 slices Collin Street Bakery Pecan Bread (or any bread)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. dry rubbed sage
- ½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Crumble the fruitcake and spread onto a sheet pan. Cube the bread. If you don’t have pecan bread, you can use white or wheat bread. Toast the fruitcake and bread cubes in a 350-degre oven for 8 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the celery and onions and sauté, until tender.
- Stir in the fruitcake and bread cubes. Add the seasoning and chicken broth, until evenly coated.
- Transfer to a medium-sized baker.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
