My Favorite Stuffing Recipe: Sourdough, Sausage, Leek, and Chestnuts

Looking for a new stuffing recipe? Every year I pull out my well-loved copy of the 2015 Thanksgiving Special of Bon Appétit and use their handy stuffing customizer.

Don’t have your old 2015 copy of the magazine? Never fear, the formula-maker is that good that they republish it annually on their blog.

That article gives you the perfect overview of what makes a good stuffing. Of course there’s bread and butter, but what else should we think about in order to create the perfect combination of both flavors and textures? I love their scientific grouping of the ingredients into specific categories like aromatics, meats, binders, add-ins, etc. And they give you a concise explanation of why you’d want to add something from each category.

Sourdough, Sausage, Leek, and Chestnut Stuffing

What are you going to put in your stuffing? Read through the article and make choices based upon your family’s tastes. For me there were clear choices in each category. Luckily, I hit the nail on the head in 2015 and have been using that same combination of ingredients ever since.

That said, the beauty of the formula is that you can easily make minor (or major) substitutions and still produce a delicious dish. For example, we took this pics last Thanksgiving, and, in pandemic fashion, I wasn’t able to get the chestnuts, so we substituted pecans. Another year we had delicious maple breakfast sausage from our CSA, so I used that in place of the sweet Italian sausage.

Ingredients

  • bread: loaf of sourdough bread
  • add-ins: 1 cup chopped peeled and cooked chestnuts*, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • meat: 12 oz sweet Italian sausage
  • aromatics: 2 onions, 3 stalks celery, 2 leeks, 2 Tbsp fresh sage (all chopped)
  • deglazing liquid: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • binders: 1/2 cup butter, 2 large eggs, 2+ cups turkey or chicken stock
  • pantry staples: olive oil, more butter

How-To

  • The afternoon or evening before baking day, cut the bread into 1″ pieces and let dry on a baking sheet overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9×13 baking dish AND one side of a sheet of foil large enough to cover your dish.
  • Place the dried bread and add-ins in a large (very large) mixing bowl.
  • Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your meat to the pan and cook thoroughly, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked meat to the bowl of bread.
  • Using the same skillet, add the chopped aromatics. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened and are starting to brown around the edges. When ready, transfer the aromatics to the bowl of bread.
  • Place the skillet back on the burner over medium heat. Pour the deglazing liquid into the pan. While it’s simmering, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid has almost evaporated, add the butter and cook until it has melted. Drizzle this liquid (and bits) over the bread mixture.
  • Whisk the two eggs into 2 cups of the stock. Pour this over the bread mixture.
  • Mix together everything together until well combined. If necessary, slowly add more stock to until the bread is moist.
  • Transfer the stuffing mixture to the baking dish, pressing down the mixture slightly if necessary. Dot the top of the mixture with 4 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces. Cover with foil (buttered side down, obvs) and crimp it around the edges.
  • Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is starting to brown (another 20-25 minutes). *The original recipe asks you to turn the oven up to 450 for that last 20 minutes. I am never able to do it because we usually have a few dishes going at once. As such, your cooking times may vary depending upon what’s sharing the oven.
  • Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

This stuffing is so good. It’s good enough that I’m already stocking up on chestnuts so that I can make a second batch, because I’m 99% sure that there aren’t going to be enough leftovers to meet my needs.

What are my needs? A 9×13 pan of stuffing.

We hope your scheming, dreaming, and prepping for a delicious day with your favorite people. xo

Roasted Chicken with Vanilla Bean Butter Sauce

{This post was originally published in 2016. We’re reposting it now because it’s delicious cold-weather comfort food.}
Vanilla is our ingredient of the season. So far we’ve made some vanilla-infused vodka (great for milkshakes!) and a double vanilla cake. Today we’re turning our attention to a savory dinner.

Do you have any snow on the ground? We had a fantastic snow day yesterday! I read that Boulder’s 16+ inches in yesterday’s storm is more than the average snow for the month. I was so distracted by the sledding, matinees, and requests for banana cream pie, that I forgot to post. And I think Sarah’s off taking photos of staircases and doorways, so who knows when we’ll hear from here again ;-)? Anyway, today we’re sharing an amazing use for vanilla, and I really hope you’ll give it a try.

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When we picked vanilla as the ingredient of the season. I knew I wanted to experiment with some savory dishes. That said, I didn’t have anything in particular in mind, and never in my wildest dreams did I see this savory roasted chicken on the horizon! We eat a lot of roasted chicken, and I’ve become so partial to our chicken with the flavors of preserved lemon and olives, but this dish is far on the other end of the spectrum. The flavors are more subtle, of course there’s the vanilla, but there’s also a mild nutty-ness from the browned butter. It’s a nice compliment to our repertoire of chicken dishes.

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Simple Tomato Turkey Veggie Soup

Ready for the easiest weeknight meal? Tomato Turkey Veggie soup it is. This dish takes about twenty minutes of active prep time before allowing the flavors to simmer and the potatoes to cook. Before you know it, it’s time to sit down and enjoy in front of your favorite show. I’m really into The Sinner right now. If you’re looking for a quick and hearty weeknight meal, Tomato Turkey Veggie Soup fits the bill.

Simple Tomato Turkey Veggie Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 2 sweet peppers (green, yellow, or red)
  • 3 potatoes
  • 6 cloves of garlic (or two tablespoons pre-chopped garlic)
  • 2 ears of sweet corn (or one can of corn)
  • 1 big can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 16oz veggie broth (or enough veggie, chicken, or beef bouillon cubes/paste)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Fresh parsley
  • Sour cream (optional)

Instructions

  1. Chop the onion, celery, garlic and peppers.
  2. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat.
  3. Toss in the chopped veggies and ground turkey.
  4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
  5. Cook, stiring occasionally until turkey is completely cooked through and onions and celery are clear. About 7 minutes.
  6. Add can of tomatoes, paste, and broth.
  7. Dice potatoes and add to the soup, bring to a boil.
  8. Cut the kernels from the corn and add.
  9. Once the potatoes are soft, turn the soup down to a simmer and season to taste. Add salt, pepper, and additional bouillon if necessary.
  10. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

https://liveseasoned.com/simple-tomato-turkey-veggie-soup/

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PS. If you want a slightly heartier soup, feel free to add some cooked orzo to the finished soup.