I did not grow up in a “stuffing” family. No one in my family is a big fan of any kind of stuffing, or bread pudding or anything with soggy bread. However, my husband actually likes this stuff…go figure! So since this was our first Thanksgiving together as man and wife I thought I would make something that he enjoyed in addition to the turkey leg and rolls. I saw the recipe on FoodTV last weekend for Giada’s Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta and had all intentions of making it step by step with the exact ingredients. However something about working ten hours shifts at the bakery kept me from getting to the grocery store and I was not about to make Evan go on a wild goose chase for chestnuts. So I told him to just get some bacon and I would bring some bread home from the bakery to use.
I think it actually turned out quite well. I brought a loaf of farmhouse white bread and our rosemary garlic wheat bread, I only used half of each loaf. Though only Evan and I ate it, my Mom tried it and said it was quite good. Not mushy due to the large chunks of bread and the small amount of chicken broth I used. I will probably half the recipe in the future so we aren’t stuck with an entire casserole of leftover stuffing.
Rosemary Garlic Stuffing
Adapted from this
recipe
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound day-old bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Drain fat from skillet and melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the bacon. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.
Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.
PS- I neglected to take a picture of the final product, so here is a pic of our Thanksgiving table. Please note my 20 year old sister’s chocolate milk on the table…so mature she is.
PSS- My Mom was so excited her dining room and kitchen would be “famous” since I am posting these pics online. I don’t know how “famous” this blog is yet, but rest assure her beautiful kitchen and dining room have been well documented! Thanks Mom!
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