Sundried Tomato Pancetta Cornbread Stuffing
This Cornbread Stuffing puts a twist on the traditional by adding crispy pancetta and tangy sundried tomatoes for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish!
Servings: 6 - 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cornbread:
- 2 boxes Jiffy Corn muffin mix
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup 2% milk
For the stuffing:
- 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta chopped
- 1 ¼ cups chopped onion
- ⅔ cup finely chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts chopped
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 - 1 ½ cups chicken broth
Instructions
For the cornbread:
- This step is ideally completed the day before you assemble the rest of the stuffing. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- Make the cornbread. Pour the corn muffin mixes into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and milk. Stir until combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Spray a quarter sheet baking pan (13x9.5) with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to turn slightly golden brown and a knife or toothpick comes out clean.
For the stuffing:
- Toast the cornbread. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the cornbread into ~ ¾" cubes. Place cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until edges begin to turn golden brown. When the cornbread is done toasting remove from oven. If serving the stuffing immediately reduce oven temperature to 250°F.
- Cook the Pancetta. While cornbread cubes are baking, heat a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook 8-9 minutes, stirring frequently. Using a slotted spoon remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the cooking fat in the pan.
- Saute the veggies. Add the onion and celery to the saute pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove pan from heat.
- Make the stuffing. Add the pancetta, onion and celery mixture, cooked pancetta, water chestnuts, sundried tomatoes, parsley, dried spices and melted butter to the baking sheet with the cornbread cubes and mix everything together. Slowly add the chicken broth, about a ½ cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until desired consistency is reached. For more crunchy stuffing you'll want to use about 1 to 1 ¼ cups of broth. For chewier stuffing you'll use the entire 1 ½ cups.
- Bake the stuffing. Spoon the stuffing into a 9x9 (or larger) baking dish. Either cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake or place in an oven heated to 250 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you refrigerate the stuffing prior to baking, increase baking time to 40-45 minutes, keeping the stuffing covered for the first 30 minutes.