One of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is the stuffing…homemade stuffing! I’ve made it many different ways over the years using either cornbread or sourdough; bacon or sausage. I’ve stuffed the turkey with the mixture and I’ve baked it on the side. All have been delicious but my most favorite is this one!

Classic Bacon & Sourdough Stuffing

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. bacon, cut in chunks (you can substitute the bacon for 1 pound Italian Sausage if you wish)

2 small onions or 1 large, diced

4 stalks of celery, diced

fresh thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley chopped (you can use all of these or a combination), enough for 3 TBSP

12 cups sourdough baguette, cubed and toasted (you can substitute the sourdough for cornbread but make sure to toast the cubes too)

4 cups chicken broth

2/3 stick salted butter (1/3 of the butter cut in slices)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Cut a baguette or sourdough loaf into cubes, enough for 12 cups. Toss the cubes with olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet. Top with sea salt. Toast at 375 degrees for about 4-6 minutes depending on your oven. You want these lightly toasted and crunchy. Set aside to cool.
  3. Fry the bacon (or sausage) in a large skillet until crisp. Remove to a plate.
  4. In the same skillet add 1/3 of the butter to the bacon grease and heat. Add the onions, celery and rosemary (if you’re using it). Cook for 7-10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining fresh, chopped seasonings (thyme, sage and parsley). Remove from heat and let cool.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the bacon, vegetable mixture and bread cubes. Stir in the chicken broth until cubes are moist (but not soggy). Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add to a casserole dish and dot with the remaining butter slices. Cover with foil. (The good news is that you can make the stuffing 48 hours ahead to this point. Then, just refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking.)
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Note: You can eliminate numbers 6 and 7 if you stuff the turkey. The mixture must be completely cooled for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator before you stuff the cavity. My preference is to bake the stuffing separate from the turkey; however, either will work!

This makes about 12 servings of deliciousness!

Enjoy! XOXO Jill