This sweet and savory Apple and Bacon Stuffing is the best of both worlds. Sweet apples and cranberries paired with savory herbs and bacon then baked into a warm Thanksgiving stuffing.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I can’t believe it and I absolutely cannot wait to enjoy the big feast! The past several weeks I’ve been testing out Thanksgiving recipes to make sure they’re good enough for the big day. I decided to try something new with the stuffing and baked up this Easy Bacon Apple Stuffing Recipe that passed with flying colors. This is my new favorite stuffing recipe and it will definitely be making an appearance at our Thanksgiving dinner table this year.
Easy Bacon Apple Stuffing Recipe
The stuffing is made with crusty French bread. There are some stuffing recipes I’m not too crazy about because of the “mushy” texture, but this stuffing is not mushy at all. The sourdough bread softens and is moist, but keeps a nice texture. The bacon, shallot, cranberries, Honeycrisp apples, and fresh herbs add great flavor. I love the slight sweetness the apples add to the stuffing. Such a great combination of flavors!
We baked the stuffing in the oven, but you can go the traditional route and “stuff your bird” with this stuffing. If you are still deciding on which stuffing recipe to serve up this Thanksgiving, look no further. This one is the perfect side dish to complete your holiday meal.
Apple and Bacon Stuffing
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound day-old white French bread (diced into 1/2-inch cubes and dried)
- 10 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped)
- 1 shallot or 1/2 onion (chopped)
- 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme (chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apple (I like gala or honey crisp for this recipe)
- 1 cup dried cranberries or craisins
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 eggs (whisked)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spread the bread on a baking sheet. Bake the bread, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until beginning to turn golden, but not quite brown. Remove from the oven and place in a very large bowl.
- Place the bacon on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat add the bacon fat and sage. Stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute and add the shallot as well as 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook until tender, about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining herbs and cook for 30 seconds to bring out their flavor.
- Dump the butter/herb mixture into the bowl with the bread and add the apples and craisins. Toss everything to coat. Chop the cooked bacon and add to the bowl, tossing again.
- In the bacon grease skillet, add the broth and whisk very gently over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Add the butter and whisk until it has melted then pour over the bread mixture. Add the whisked eggs and fold everything together.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×10 to 9×13″ casserole dish and pour the entire stuffing mixture in. Wrap the top with foil and bake for 40 minutes, uncover the dish and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Side
