Free Recipe Wednesday! (Toasted Cornbread, Bacon, and Chestnut Stuffing)

Hello again everyone and welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of Free Recipe Wednesday. Today’s recipe is a variation of the classic Thanksgiving stuffing. In a recent edition of Rachel Ray Magazine there was about half a dozen or so different recipes for stuffing and I have to say the one below is probably my favorite. How can anything made with bacon be bad? The saltiness of the bacon really makes this stuffing spectacular. If you’re looking to change up your normal Thanksgiving routine this year, give this stuffing a try or if you’re interested in viewing any of the other stuffing recipes from Rachel Ray Magazine, head on over to their site and do a search for “stuffing”. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Toasted Cornbread, Bacon, and Chestnut Stuffing

• 2 - 8 1/2 oz boxes Corn Muffin Mix (such as Jiffy)
• 1 - 14 1/2 oz can Chicken Broth (about 1-3/4 cups)
• 1 cup Half-And-Half
• 2 large Eggs
• 1/2 lb Bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 2 ribs Celery, chopped
• 1 - 8 oz jar Whole Roasted Chestnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Sage
• 1 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/2 cup Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Salt and Pepper

1. Bake the cornbread according to the package directions; let cool and break into 1-inch chunks.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. In a large baking dish, arrange the cornbread chunks in a single layer; toast in the oven, stirring once, until golden, about 10 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, half-and-half and eggs; fold in the cornbread, cover and let soak for 10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
5. In a large, heavy skillet, cook the bacon until crisp at the edges, about 8 minutes; transfer to a large bowl, discarding all but a thin coating of drippings from the skillet.
6. Add the butter to the skillet, then stir in the onion and celery; cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 10 minutes.
7. Stir in the chestnuts, thyme and sage during the last minute of cooking then stir in the cranberries, parsley, soaked cornbread and salt and pepper to taste; Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
9. Place the stuffing in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish; cover with greased foil and bake for 40 minutes.
10. Uncover and continue to bake until golden, about 15 minutes.