As a kid, there were always two types of stuffing on our holiday table. First, there was my mom’s homemade version, which was always pretty basic and a little on the overly-moist side. Then, there was my personal favorite; Stove Top Stuffing. Sometimes there were raisins in it, and sometimes there weren’t. Through the years, dried cranberries, nuts, and finely diced apples occasionally even got thrown into the mix. No matter what though, that boxed stuffing was always my absolute favorite thing to see on our holiday table. Until now. Now, thanks to a few slices of finely crumbled bacon and finely diced pickled jalapeños, I have a homemade stuffing that totally makes me want to ditch my old favorite boxed standby in favor of something entirely new. Sorry Stove Top Stuffing, you’re going to have to visit someone else’s home this holiday season. After all, three different versions of stuffing on a holiday table would be just totally ridiculous. We’ve got to save some room on the table for the turkey, right?
Ingredients:
Cornbread:
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Pickled Jalapeño Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Butter (Additional for Greasing Baking Dish)
- 1/3 Cup Pickled Jalapeños, Finely Diced
Stuffing:
- 1/2 Pound Thick-Cut Bacon (5 to 6 Slices)
- 3 Celery Ribs, Finely Diced
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Finely Diced
- Cornbread
- 1 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock (Additional If Needed)
Directions:
Cornbread:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 glass baking dish liberally with butter; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, whipping cream, canola oil, and pickled jalapeño juice; set aside.
- Place the butter and honey in a small bowl and then microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, or until melted.
- Slowly whisk the melted butter and honey mixture into the egg and cream mixture. When well combined, pour the liquid mixture into the dry flour and cornmeal mixture. Use a silicone spatula to stir until just well combined. Fold in the finely diced pickled jalapeños.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until baked through and golden brown.
- Allow the cornbread to cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Use a knife to cut the cornbread into small pieces and then use your hands to crumble the cornbread slightly. Spread the crumbled cornbread out onto a baking sheet to dry for at least 4 hours.
Stuffing:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through and crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble or finely chop when cool enough to touch.
- Pour all of the remaining bacon grease, except for 1-teaspoon, out of the skillet.
- Over medium heat, sauté the finely diced celery and onion in the remaining bacon grease for 5 minutes, or until translucent.
- In a large bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread, bacon, and celery and onion mixture.
- Pour the chicken stock over the mixture and fold together with a silicone spatula until just well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out large mounds of the stuffing and place them into a baking dish.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and slightly browned on top.
Suggestions:
- You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I used salted butter in mine because it was what I had on hand.
- The amount of chicken stock you use in this recipe may vary, depending on how much you allow your cornbread to dry out beforehand. Start with 1-cup. You want the cornbread moist enough to stay together but not so moist that it becomes mushy.
- Use your hands to press as much stuffing as possible into the ice cream scoop. Don’t be afraid to have some overflowing out of the bottom of the ice cream scoop. The goal is to make generously sized mounds of stuffing.
- I baked my stuffing in two small 8×8 baking dishes instead of one large baking dish. This gave them more room and allowed them to get crispier on their edges. You can use one large baking dish if you choose.
- If you like your stuffing to be super-moist, spread it out into the baking dish instead of making mounds with an ice cream scoop. The top and edges will become crispy but the inside will stay moist.
- This recipe will yield approximately 18 scoops of stuffing.
Improvements:
- Add a 1/2-cup finely diced pecans to the stuffing.
- Use an entire pound of bacon in this stuffing. After all, bacon makes everything better.
- Try adding fresh herbs to this recipe, such as chives or parsley.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Pickled Jalapeño Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Butter (Additional for Greasing Baking Dish)
- 1/3 Cup Pickled Jalapeños, Finely Diced
- 1/2 Pound Thick-Cut Bacon (5 to 6 Slices)
- 3 Celery Ribs, Finely Diced
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Finely Diced
- Cornbread
- 1 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock (Additional If Needed)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 glass baking dish liberally with butter; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, whipping cream, canola oil, and pickled jalapeño juice; set aside.
- Place the butter and honey in a small bowl and then microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, or until melted.
- Slowly whisk the melted butter and honey mixture into the egg and cream mixture. When well combined, pour the liquid mixture into the dry flour and cornmeal mixture. Use a silicone spatula to stir until just well combined. Fold in the finely diced pickled jalapeños.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until baked through and golden brown.
- Allow the cornbread to cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Use a knife to cut the cornbread into small pieces and then use your hands to crumble the cornbread slightly. Spread the crumbled cornbread out onto a baking sheet to dry for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through and crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble or finely chop when cool enough to touch.
- Pour all of the remaining bacon grease, except for 1-teaspoon, out of the skillet.
- Over medium heat, sauté the finely diced celery and onion in the remaining bacon grease for 5 minutes, or until translucent.
- In a large bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread, bacon, and celery and onion mixture.
- Pour the chicken stock over the mixture and fold together with a silicone spatula until just well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out large mounds of the stuffing and place them into a baking dish.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and slightly browned on top.
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Please make sure to check out the other great “Holiday Side Dish Week” recipes below.
- Bacon & Pickled Jalapeño Cornbread Stuffing from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Cheesy Bacon Creamed Spinach from Daily Dish Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Relish from Everyday Eileen
- Cranberry Sausage Sage Stuffing from Simple and Savory
- Dijon Maple Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans from Sweet Beginnings
- Low Carb Stuffing from Palatable Pastime
- Old Fashioned Celery and Onion Stuffing from Cookaholic Wife
- Parmesan Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Quinoa Stuffed Squash Boats from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberry from The Tip Garden
- Scalloped Potatoes from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Skillet Cornbread with Bacon, Onion, Cheddar from Our Good Life
- Skillet Rolls from A Day in the Life on a Farm
- Vegan Maple Thyme Mashed Sweet Potatoes from The Baking Fairy