Bacon Apple And Fennel Stuffing Recipes

BACON APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 350˚F.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, about 10-12 minutes.
• Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the celery, onion, and apple to the same skillet the bacon was cooking in (don't drain off the bacon grease) and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened about 8-10 minutes.
• Add the parsley, thyme, sage, and marjoram and stir. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
• Add the breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, chicken broth and bacon to the vegetable and apple mixture.
• Place the stuffing mixture into a buttered 9x13 pan, or any other 3-quart pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
• Cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

APPLE-FENNEL STUFFING

Steps:

• Make Classic Stuffing with potato bread. Use diced fennel bulb instead of celery. Cook 1 cup each chopped apples and dried cranberries with the onions and fennel.
• Classic Stuffing: Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups each diced onions and celery and 1 tablespoon each minced sage and thyme; add salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups turkey or chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup chopped parsley in a large bowl; add 16 cups cubed stale white bread, then pour in the vegetable-broth mixture and toss. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and dot with butter. Cover and bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees F; uncover and bake until golden, 30 more minutes. (Or stuff in your turkey and bake.)
• Photography by Charles Masters

BACON, APPLE AND FENNEL STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Toast until light golden and crisp around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine bacon and 4 cups water in large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
• Drain, discarding liquid. Place bacon in large roasting pan. Pour 2 cups chicken broth over. Roast until broth evaporates and bacon begins to crisp around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until water evaporates, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes longer.
• Remove roasting pan with bacon from oven; reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Mix cooked onions, apples, fennel, and celery into bacon in roasting pan. Roast until apples and all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store toasted bread in large resealable plastic bags. Chill bacon-apple mixture uncovered until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch glass baking dish. Combine toasted bread, 3/4 cup chicken broth, and baconapple mixture in very large bowl. Mix in 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix in eggs, then 1/2 cup parsley. Add more chicken broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil; bake 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until top is browned, about 30 minutes longer. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.