Perfect for crisp autumn evenings — and the reason to always keep a stale loaf on hand come holiday season. The bacon fat, the herbs from the garden, and a loaf of real sourdough do the heavy lifting here. Crispy edges are not optional in my kitchen.
- ½ pound double-smoked bacon, cut into ½″ dice
- 1 pound fresh pork sausage
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 loaf stale sourdough, cut into 1″ cubes
- 2–4 cups chicken stock, depending on how moist you like it
- 1 bunch fresh sage, chopped
- ½ bunch fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 stick butter (about ¼ pound / 112 grams)
- Olive oil for cooking
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions for the chef
Heat a large Dutch oven slowly over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan followed by the bacon and cook for 3–4 minutes to render out some of the fat. Remove the sausage from its casing and add it to the pan. Stir the pot with a wooden spoon to break the sausage into smaller chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. A little browning on the meat and in the pan is okay, but if it's taking on a lot of color, reduce the heat. At this point there should be a good amount of fat in the bottom of the pan. Do not remove the fat — this is going to absorb into the bread and help create a flavor story for your stuffing.
Add a knob of butter, then the diced onion, celery, garlic, and carrot, and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt, but be careful not to over-salt — the sausage and bacon carry a good amount already. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. The vegetables will begin to soften and turn translucent. A good test is to eat a small piece of carrot: it should not be crunchy at this point.
Add the cranberries and walnuts and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. The vegetables should be softened and well mixed with the chunks of bacon and sausage. Stir in the chopped herbs and taste for seasoning. Add the chicken stock and the stale sourdough cubes. Mix well to combine thoroughly, then remove from the heat.
Make-ahead note: At this point you can cool and refrigerate the stuffing for later. It holds in the fridge for 2 days without any sacrifice of flavor — a gift when holiday menu planning gets taxing. The more prepared you are, the easier it is to pull off an epic feast.
If you're stuffing the turkey, you can fill the bird now. My personal preference is to cook the turkey unstuffed and bake the stuffing in a separate dish. If using a baking dish, fill it, cut the remaining butter into cubes, and scatter them on top. Cover with a piece of parchment paper, then wrap the entire dish in aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes at 325°F (162°C). Remove the cover and cook for another 20 minutes. The bread will take on color and start to crisp around the edges. If you like it crispy, leave it be; otherwise stir halfway through for even browning. My favorite part is the crispy edges, so I leave it alone.
Once the stuffing is cooked through, serve it immediately or set it aside to warm up right before serving.