A recipe developer has shared a simple tip to make stuffing balls more flavourful and moist: adding chicken mince to a shop-bought mix. The trick helps replicate the rich flavours of a roast dinner without the full preparation effort.
Recipe developer and TikTok creator Amy Sheppard revealed that she incorporates protein into her stuffing mix. In a recent video, she said: "If you're craving a roast dinner, but you just don't have the time or the energy to make the full thing, you have got to try these. All the Sunday cosiness of eating a roast, without any of the effort of actually making one."
Why Chicken Mince Works
To boost the flavour of the stuffing, Amy opts for chicken mince, which helps echo the taste of a traditional roast dinner without requiring hours of preparation and patience. She described the stuffing recipes as being like "a roast dinner with all of the comfort and hardly any of the work".
She went on to say: "Sage and onion stuffing mixed with chicken mince and then oven-baked, they could not be easier. You can even prep them ahead of time."
The stuffing is prepared in the usual manner, using a ready-made stuffing mix combined with boiling water. Once the water has been fully absorbed, the stuffing should be left to cool. The chicken mince should then be incorporated into the cooled stuffing mixture, ensuring it is thoroughly combined so all the flavours blend together properly.
Recipe: Sage & Onion Chicken Balls
Ingredients (makes 20): 170g Sage and Onion Stuffing mix, 450ml boiling water, 500g chicken mince, olive oil, salt and ground black pepper.
Method: Empty the stuffing mix into a bowl, add the boiling water and stir well. Allow to stand for 15 minutes or until cool enough to work with. Combine the chicken mince with the mixture in the bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. Mix the mince and stuffing together using your hands until fully incorporated.
Scoop out an even portion of the mixture using an ice cream scoop (or portion by hand). Lightly coat your hands with olive oil and shape the balls by rolling them firmly between your palms. Position them on a lined baking tray and continue with the remaining mixture. This should make approximately 20 balls.
Apply a small amount of additional oil to your hands after forming every few chicken balls. Bake in the oven at 200°C (fan) for roughly 35 minutes, turning them over once, until thoroughly cooked.
Viewer Response
Amy's video has already been viewed more than 270,700 times, garnering over 11,100 likes and 149 comments. Dan commented: "That's it. I'm making those today!" Harriet wrote: "The best thing about autumn/winter is when I can cook Amy Shepphard dinners every week!"
Kathryn agreed: "I make these regularly after seeing you post them last year. They are a firm favourite in my house." Victoria said: "Made these last week. So delish and went down well with the husband. Win! Win," while Jo revealed, "I made these the other day, surprisingly my kids loved them and asked to have giant filled Yorkshire puddings with them next time."
