RECIPE BY CHEF JESSICA HALLAM
PHOTOS BY STEVE SMEDE
‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE THANKFUL! My favorite side dish on the Thanksgiving table is stuffing. Every year my mom changes hers so it’s always a little different, but my favorite is always made with sourdough bread or cornbread. This version is sourdough, but you can easily substitute cornbread. The incredible flavor comes from fresh herbs, butter and a little bit of chopped veggies mixed in. A time-saving tip for Thanksgiving Day? Dry out bread in the oven and chop all veggies and herbs up to two days before. It’s so nice to have everything pre-measured and chopped, not to mention the time saved on cleanup!
Ingredients:
• 1 c. butter, divided
• 1 lb. chopped sourdough bread
• 1 extra large onion, chopped
• 1 c. celery, small diced
• 1/2 c. Italian parsley, minced
• 1/4 c. sage, minced
• 1/4 c. rosemary minced
• 2 tbsp. thyme, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 1/2 c. chicken stock, low sodium
• 2 eggs
Instructions:
1. Pre-day prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop your sourdough bread into chunks. Put onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely, then store in a zip-top bag until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Melt 3/4 c. butter and cook the onions and celery until al dente (just a little bit of crunch). Add a little pinch of salt and pepper to your veggies.
4. Dump bread into a large bowl. Pour melted butter and cooked veggies over bread. Add herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Add 1 1/4 c. of your chicken stock.
5. In a small bowl, mix two eggs and the other 1 1/4 c. chicken stock together. Whisk until the egg is fully mixed in. (This step is so important. Trust me!)
6. Pour egg/stock mixture over bread mixture. Toss well. Chop the remaining 1/4 c. butter into chunks.
7. Pour bread mixture into a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Top with butter chunks. Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake another 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
8. Serve immediately.
Notes: Gluten free bread or gluten free cornbread can be substituted for sourdough. Fresh herbs make a big difference. Use the fresh!