Bacon Stuffing (Traditional)

baconstuffing This traditional stuffing recipe is loaded with crispy fried bacon, plenty of veggies and loads of herbs. It’s sure to be a favourite at Thanksgiving with the crispy top, moist center and classic flavour.

1 lb French bread
8 slices bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
10 oz cream of chicken soup
¾ cup chicken broth
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. ground poultry seasoning
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Cut bread into small cubes and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to dry out a bit.

While the bread is in the oven, fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat.

When bacon is beginning to crisp around the edges, add the onion and celery and continue cooking until bacon is cooked and vegetables have softened.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and increase the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Pour the bacon and vegetables over the bread - do not drain the grease.

Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and remaining ingredients to the bowl. Stir well to combine. Add additional chicken broth if needed to reach the level of moistness you prefer in stuffing.

Spread stuffing into a buttered 2-3 qt baking dish and top with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, and then remove the foil and continue baking for 30 more minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

We don’t like our stuffing to be overly wet, so we usually stick to around ¾-1 cup of chicken broth. Add more if you like an extra moist stuffing.
You may swap the cream of chicken for cream of mushroom soup, if preferred.