Can you believe Turkey Day is less than a month away? That means it’s time to start planning your holiday spread. My priorities? The sides and pie. If I wasn’t obsessed with testing new recipes, I’d consider recreating this focaccia stuffing with apples and bacon, my contribution to our family meal last Thanksgiving.
It’s a traditional dish with one small twist. The creation features homemade focaccia in lieu of white bread. (Of course, a store-bought loaf will do.) The result? Stuffing with more flavor and chew.
If you’re currently or about to begin building your Thanksgiving menu, add focaccia stuffing with apples and bacon to the list. It’s a tried-and-true recipe that you’ll return to again and again (unless, of course, you’re me).
Recipe adapted from The Couples Kitchen.
- 8 cups cubed focaccia (see notes*)
- 8 strips smoked bacon, cut into lardons
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup toasted pecans (see notes**)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread focaccia cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Turn off oven and leave focaccia in oven for 10 minutes; then remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- In a large pot, cook bacon on medium heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and set aside on paper towels to drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pot.
- Add butter to pot and melt over medium heat. Add onion, celery, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sage and thyme. Add cooked bacon and toasted focaccia cubes and stir gently to combine.
- Pour broth mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and stir gently to combine.
- Transfer mixture to a greased 12" pie plate or 9"x13" baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the parsley, pecans and lemon zest and sprinkle over the stuffing.
**To toast raw pecans, cook them in a fry pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool and then chop.
