Yup, that’s dressing, not stuffing. You can tell because it’s crispy, not soggy. Well, there’s also the fact that it’s in a baking dish instead of jammed inside a big bird. But, I’m not here to start a debate about the difference between the two preparations and names (but if you’d like to get into it, please feel free, I’ll mediate).
Since I’ve come into stuffing/dressing love later than the normal American, there isn’t one particular kind that holds my heart. Not like Hubby, who measures ever kind he eats against his mother’s.
Instead, I’m more than willing to mix things up a bit. In a way, I feel like I’m trying to find ‘my’ stuffing. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to match my mother-in-law’s, so why even try? My fragile mom chef esteem can’t handle a whole lot of the ‘yeah, it’s … close,’ or ‘it’s missing something,’ comments, no matter how well they’re disguised and covered over in love. So, I’m finding my own.
Cooking Light has helped this month. Starting with the basic bread and chicken stock combination, they offer up eight ways to make stuffing. Do you like just veggies? Try the Mushroom-Artichoke variety. Or Chestnut, Cranberry and Leek. If you want things a bit more hearty and meat-filled, go for Ham, Gruyére and Onion.
Or like I did; opt for Butternut-Bacon.
The Process
I was actually a little surprised at how much time went by during prep. That’s one of the issues in reviewing the process for me; I enjoy being in the kitchen when I’m alone and have time so I tend not to notice it whooshing by.
Peeling and seeding a butternut squash is never a quick job, especially if one wants to keep all fingers intact and blood-free. So, it took a while, allowing me to solve the world’s problems in my head as I peeled, scraped and diced.
The idea behind all the stuffing recipes that Cooking Light put together is to take the base, which consists of pouring chicken stock with a couple eggs mixed in over cubed bread. The add-in is, well, added in, and the dish is ready for baking.
For the butternut-bacon add-in, while the cubed squash was roasting in a hot oven, I browned bacon until crispy, removed it and added chopped onions to the drippings, sautéing them until nice and tender. Then the roasted squash, bacon, onion and a bit of chopped sage were added to the bread. That’s it.
The Verdict
Dudette was not a fan, but then again, she doesn’t like any kind of stuffing so that wasn’t to be expected. My man who judges everything against his mom’s version found this to be okay. A bit bland, nothing spectacular, but not bad.
As far as what I thought, I liked it. Yes, I think it could have used a bit of oomph. Garlic powder and celery salt would have gone far. But I did enjoy the sage and butternut squash together very much. In fact, this morning I found a new use for leftover stuffing. And I liked it very much.
What I’d Do Different Next Time
I would add a half teaspoon each of garlic powder and celery salt to the bread mixture. I would also add up to a half cup more of chicken stock. The bread was a bit dry when it came out of the oven. Not horribly so, just a bit.
Butternut-Bacon Stuffing from Cooking Light Magazine, November 2013
Print
Prep time
45 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
from Cooking Light Magazine, November 2013
Author: Taking On Magazines One Recipe At A Time
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 12
Ingredients
1½ cups unsalted chicken stock
2 eggs
12 ounces toasted sourdough bread cubes
3 cups diced peeled butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 chopped bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped sage
Cooking spray
Instructions
Combine chicken stock and eggs. Add toasted sourdough bread cubes.
Combine squash, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Cook chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Add onion to drippings; sauté until tender. Stir squash, onion, bacon, and sage into bread mixture.
Bake stuffing at 350° for 45 minutes in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
What I’d Do Different Next Time
I would add a half teaspoon each of garlic powder and celery salt to the bread mixture. I would also add up to a half cup more of chicken stock. The bread was a bit dry when it came out of the oven. Not horribly so, just a bit.
3.2.1596
Does your family have a favorite stuffing/dressing recipe? I’d love to know so I can continue expanding my horizons. In this area, they definitely could use some expanding.
The post Butternut-Bacon Stuffing from Cooking Light Magazine, November 2013 appeared first on Taking On Magazines One Recipe at a Time.