Cornbread Dressing With Bacon and Pecans

Categories: Pork, Side Dish, Stuffing Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 lb sliced bacon
• 1/3 cup reserved bacon fat
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium celery ribs, with leaves chopped
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 10 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread, dried overnight
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup half-and-half or 1 cup light cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup turkey broth or 1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place the bacon strips in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake in the upper third of the oven until crisp and browned, 10-15 minutes.

3. Some strips of bacon will cook more quickly than others, so remove them as they crisp and drain on paper towels.

4. Crumble when cool.

5. As the bacon fat renders and accumulates in the baking sheet, pour it off into a small heatproof bowl; reserve 1/3 cup.

6. In a big skillet, heat the reserved bacon fat over medium heat; add in the onions, celery, apples, and green pepper; cook/stir until the onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.

7. Add in poultry seasoning and cook for 1 minute.

8. Scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl; mix in the cornbread, crumbled bacon, pecans, and parsley.

9. Gradually beat in the half-and-half and egg; season with salt and pepper.

10. Transfer to a lightly buttered casserole; drizzle with broth, cover, and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes (uncover the last 15 minutes for a crusty top).

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