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Home » All Recipes » Christmas » Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls

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Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls

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Quick, easy and very moreish, these Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls are the perfect accompaniment to roast chicken, roast duck and roast turkey. And the cute little ball shape guarantees everyone gets plenty of crispy bits!

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls

 

Why stuffing balls are so awesome!

I am a HUGE fan of stuffing balls. Why? Because they are easy to make, quick to cook (important when oven space is at a premium!), they look good on the table and are easy to serve… and the cute ball shape guarantees everyone gets plenty of crispy bits!

So far on Easy Peasy foodie I have shared recipes for:

  • Easy Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls
  • Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls
  • Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing Balls

And now these 3 are joined by my newest stuffing recipe: Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls!

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls in the front of the shot with roast chicken and vegetables behind

 

Perfecting the recipe…

I’ve had the idea of creating a stuffing balls recipe involving apricots and pistachios for a long time, but it has taken me a while to perfect the recipe. I initially tried this recipe with just breadcrumbs… but that tasted a little bland and boring, so I tried it instead with just sausage meat… and that still wasn’t quite right… so I tried a combination of sausage meat and breadcrumbs and BINGO!

It also took me a little while to get the flavourings right… my initial version contained mint, but that just tasted all wrong in this context. Removing the mint and increasing the parsley was the winning formula… and that is how I arrived at my final recipe.

My family were obviously very sad at having to eat so many roast dinners in order to help me arrive at the perfect recipe ?

Chopped apricots, pistachios and parsley on a board next to breadcrumbs in a bowl and a pack of sausage meat

 

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls

So, after much careful recipe tasting… the final version is a delicious combination of white breadcrumbs, pork sausage meat, semi-dried apricots, pistachios, parsley and just a touch of salt and pepper.

And this recipe could not be easier to make… simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, shape into balls, then pop them in the oven for 20 minutes!

I feel I have to warn you, though, these stuffing balls are utterly delicious and a little too moreish – you will end up having way more than you were originally planning to!

All the ingredients for Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls mixed together in a bowl

 

Perfect with a roast dinner…

This delicious combination of sausage, apricots and pistachios is a real crowd pleaser and works well with almost all roast meats, but especially roast chicken, roast duck and roast turkey.

 

Perfect for Christmas…

Because it works so well with roast turkey and is so quick and easy to make, this Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls recipe is a great option for Christmas dinner!

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls on a baking tray ready to go into the oven

 

Can you make stuffing balls ahead of time?

Yes you can! Stuffing balls are a great option if you want to get ahead. Simply cook the stuffing balls as per the recipe below, cool and refrigerate. These Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat, simply place on a non-stick baking tray and cook at 200C (180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F) for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.

These cute little stuffing balls are also delicious eaten cold!

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls on a baking tray having just come out of the oven

 

Can you freeze stuffing balls?

Absolutely! Stuffing balls freeze very well. Simply cook the stuffing balls as per the recipe below, cool and put them straight into the freezer in an airtight container. These Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat as above or enjoy cold.

Overhead shot of Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls in a bowl surrounded by roast chicken, roast potatoes, roast parsnips and carrots and steamed greens

 

How to make breadcrumbs for stuffing

One thing that often trips people up when making homemade stuffing is the need for fresh breadcrumbs… So I wanted to share a little trick of mine that makes perfect breadcrumbs every time… and you don’t have to wait for your bread to go stale… you can even do this with fresh bread!

First slice the bread – thick or thin it does not matter. Next take each slice and scrunch it up in your hand so you have a ball shape. Now grate that ball of bread on the large side of a cheese grater… and voila! Perfect breadcrumbs.

You might find you have a little bit left in your hand at the end which you cannot grate without risking grating your fingers, but that’s OK! You can just tear that last little bit up small… it’s always nice to have a bit of a texture in your breadcrumbs – especially in this recipe.

Overhead shot of fresh white breadcrumbs

 

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

  • Prosciutto Wrapped Turkey Mini Fillets with Sage and Sausage Stuffing
  • Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast
  • How to cook perfect roast turkey – the stress-free way!
  • Easy Peasy Christmas Dinner Time Plan and Shopping List
  • What to cook for a small Christmas dinner?

 

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls
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5 from 4 votes

Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls

Quick, easy and very moreish, these Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls are the perfect accompaniment to roast chicken, roast duck and roast turkey. And the cute little ball shape guarantees everyone gets plenty of crispy bits!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Side Dish
Cuisine British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 30 stuffing balls
Calories 80kcal
Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • Olive oil for greasing (or similar – rapeseed oil, vegetable oil or sunflower oil will all be fine)
  • 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs (see Note 1)
  • 350 g pork sausage meat (see Note 2)
  • 20 semi-dried apricots chopped finely (see Note 3)
  • 100 g pistachio kernels chopped finely
  • 10 g fresh parsley chopped finely
  • Salt and pepper to taste (go easy as the sausage meat will already be seasoned – you may find you don’t need any)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F and lightly grease a large baking tray with a little oil.
  • Place all the ingredients for the stuffing balls in a large bowl and mix together with your hands. (You can do this with a wooden spoon but it’s much easier and gives a better result if you do this with your hands!)
  • Using your hands, take small amounts of the mixture and roll into balls – roughly the size of a golf ball. This amount of mixture should yield 30 stuffing balls.
  • Place the balls on the greased baking tray and put the tray into your preheated oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the balls are nicely browned on the outside and cooked all the way through.
  • Serve with roast meats and all your favourite roast dinner sides!

Video

Notes

  1. To make fresh white breadcrumbs, simply scrunch slices of white bread into balls and grate the balls of bread on the large side of a cheese grater.
  2. If you can’t find pork sausage meat, simply squeeze the meat out of 350g pork sausages instead.
  3. These stuffing balls are made with semi-dried apricots… the type of dried apricots which are soft and pleasant to eat straight out of the packet, not the fully dried ones which are rock hard! If you can’t find semi dried apricots, get the fully dried kind and rehydrate for 5-10 minutes in boiling water before using.
  4. Suitable for freezing.
  5. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Apricot and Pistachio Stuffing Balls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 80 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 99mg4%
Potassium 133mg4%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 243IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* % Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet
Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comments below.

 

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12 Comments

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Comments

  1. Donna says

    8th December 2020 at 5:38 pm

    I never make stuffing. I love it, but no one else in the house does. Maybe they’d like if I tried something like this?!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      9th December 2020 at 10:30 am

      Oooh yes – definitely worth a try! Let me know how you get on 😀

      Reply
  2. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

    8th December 2020 at 9:51 pm

    I have to admit I always play it safe with stuffing, but I love this flavour idea, I must try it!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      9th December 2020 at 10:31 am

      It’s definitely worth being brave and trying this one – you won’t be disappointed! 😀

      Reply
  3. Cat | Curly's Cooking says

    13th December 2020 at 1:42 pm

    I love stuffing and we usually have it every time we have a roast. I love the sound of the apricots and pistachios with the pork!

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      14th December 2020 at 10:36 am

      Thanks Cat – it works so well 😀

      Reply
  4. Rebecca - Glutarama says

    18th December 2020 at 11:37 am

    This is a simple yet effective recipe and I can tweak it to be gluten free too. Love the idea of adding apricot and pistachio it makes the dinner so much more special when you add little perfection’s like these.

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      18th December 2020 at 11:48 am

      Thanks Rebecca – I totally agree! Eb 🙂

      Reply
  5. Hina Munawar says

    20th December 2021 at 1:22 pm

    Wow, such a unique recipe. Never heard about combining apricot and pistachio in a recipe. Will try it to know how it tastes.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      20th December 2021 at 1:23 pm

      Thank you. I hope you enjoy it! Eb 🙂

      Reply
  6. Beverley Pryor says

    8th January 2023 at 9:26 am

    Could I sub turkey meat for sausage meat as I’m on a specific diet? Would the flavour work and would the cooking time alter. Thanks

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      9th January 2023 at 8:52 am

      Yes, that should work fine. I would use turkey mince / ground turkey, but otherwise follow the recipe exactly as written. Let me know how it goes! Eb 🙂

      Reply

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Hi and welcome to Easy Peasy Foodie! I’m Eb – a professional blogger, busy mum and passionate foodie and it is my mission in life to make cooking EASIER and MORE DELICIOUS! READ MORE

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