Turkey Day Treats: Nutty Stuffing

Stuffing (or, as some people prefer to call it, dressing) is hands-down our favorite thing on the Thanksgiving table. It’s such an incredibly delicious combination of all the traditional Thanksgiving flavors of turkey, seasonings, veggies and bread.

Given our nutty tendency to add our products to just about anything, it should come as no surprise that one of our favorite stuffing recipes (adapted from this recipe for bacon-nut stuffing ) contains a healthy dose of chopped English walnuts, though you could use slivered almonds instead. We also like to throw in some tart whole dried cranberries for good measure.

Start by crisping up about ¾ pound of bacon over medium heat. Crumble the strips and set them aside. Leave about ¼ cup of the bacon drippings in the pan and add one large chopped onion and two stalks of chopped celery. Saute the vegetables over medium-low heat until they’re soft, then add 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic, the crumbled bacon, a generous handful of chopped English walnuts, about ½ cup of whole dried cranberries and about 2 cups of fresh, homemade bread crumbs (we like to use sourdough loaves for this, but French, Italian or any other crusty bread will do). Pour ½ cup of turkey or chicken broth over the top, and season the stuffing with salt, white pepper, about ½ tsp. of dried thyme and a bay leaf. Stir gently to combine.

Remove the stuffing from the heat as soon as it’s combined. The mixture should be damp, but not soggy. If it seems dry or sandy, add another ¼ cup of broth or a splash of white wine.

Pack the stuffing loosely into your turkey or press in into a greased baking dish. If you’re cooking it in the turkey, use a meat thermometer to make sure the stuffing reaches a safe 165 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it from the oven. To use the baking dish method instead (which we recommend), slide the stuffing into a 375-degree oven and let it bake until it’s slightly brown on top and crispy around the edges, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Do you have a favorite stuffing recipe?

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