6 Vegan Stuffings for Thanksgiving & Beyond

There’s something about stuffing that evokes comfort and nostalgia. While stuffing can be a nice change-of-pace from other starch-based side dishes for everyday meals, most of us don't think of making it other than for holiday meals. Here are 6 savory and comforting vegan stuffings for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but you need not wait for a holiday to enjoy. They're great for everyday winter meals, too.

The stuffings here follow tradition by including bread as a basic ingredient. For those who eat gluten free, the good news is that there are several brands of gluten-free bread that can be used to make the bread cubes or bread crumbs in these recipes. In Cranberry Pear Wild Rice Stuffing, above, the wild rice adds a wonderful texture, and the slight sweetness of dried cranberries lends a delicious flavor. Serve on its own; or use to stuff winter squashes for a dazzling holiday main dish.

Walnut-Apple Stuffing is a vegan Thanksgiving stuffing that will please everyone at the table. The sweet apple and red onion add great flavor to an otherwise simple dish.

For your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations, impress the vegans and everyone else with this basic yet completely delectable Classic Bread Stuffing. Use a sturdy, chewy bread such as sourdough, rather than something soft, even if it’s whole grain.

Two-Potato Bread Stuffing Casserole is another one that's a perfect vegan Thanksgiving or Christmas stuffing that everyone will enjoy. It's made hearty with regular and sweet potato and whole-grain bread. That said, it is most welcome at the holiday table!

This hearty, casserole-type Old-Fashioned Potato-Bread Stuffing need not be stuffed into anything; simply enjoy it as a side dish. This is welcome at a vegan Thanksgiving table, but you can surely enjoy it any time you want a comforting casserole or have a bit of bread you’d like to use up, like those end pieces that no one seems to want!

Cornbread is only as good as it is fresh; and when it’s past that point, I like to make this simple, comforting Vegan Cornbread Stuffing. Of course, if you don’t happen to have half a pan of leftover cornbread on hand, use a prepared cornbread.