After a bit of a hiatus during our trip to Switzerland, we’re back to post the last few components of our Thanksgiving 2019 feast! Growing up, our Thanksgiving stuffing was usually from a box or a cardboard silo rather than fresh like everything else on the table. As such, it was always a bit of an outlier (think Island of Misfit Toys). But, when my wife came to Thanksgiving dinner for the first time, that was destined to change. For, she has a bit of a higher standard for stuffing…after all, she grew up with her grandma’s homemade chestnut stuffing.
So, for her second Thanksgiving with us, she asked to be responsible for the stuffing, and we all agreed. Now, we’re addicted, and we can’t have Thanksgiving without this on the table. Add in that it’s a family recipe perfected and passed down by Gramma (who is an incredible cook if I may be so bold as to say so), and it is the perfect addition to a dinner spread celebrating a day that is all about family and gratitude for those who are important in our lives.
Time: 30 Minutes (+overnight to let the bread get stale)
Ingredients:
- Smooth Bread of some sort. We used whole wheat, but white works too. We used about half a loaf.
- Pre-cooked Chestnuts
- Fresh Parsley
- Onions
- Celery
- Butter
- 1/2 Cup Warm Chicken Stock
Method:
- The day before you want to eat this, spread your bread slices out on the counter (a grated cookie tray works best for maximum air flow and expedient staleness), and let them sit.
- Once your bread is nice and stale, dice your onions and celery. Then, melt some butter in a pot, and add them to it to caramelize.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (already done for you if you’re roasting a bird…and this dish can heat back up while the turkey sits after coming out of the oven).
- Dice your chestnuts, and cut your parsley into coarse pieces, and set aside.
- Take your stale bread, and cut it into cubes. Place the cubes into a bowl, and pour your warm chicken stock in. Combine to rehydrate, and then squeeze out any excess liquid, and place your goopy ready mixture into a large bowl.
- Mix in your chestnuts and parsley, and add any salt you like.
- When your onions and celery soften, become opaque, and give off an awesome aroma, pour them into your stuffing bowl, and mix everything together.
- Scoop your stuffing into an oven safe baking dish, and place in the oven to heat (about 20-25 minutes if starting at room temperature)
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
