Apple Pie Stuffing

Apple Pie Stuffing

Nothing says "Happy Thanksgiving" like stuffing and apple pie, so I figured, 'Why not combine them both together?' I wrote this recipe last year, but in the mayhem of a smallish kitchen, cooking it got put on the back burner, as they say.

One of my favorite things about stuffing is that all you need is your imagination, and some cubed, day-old bread. The rest can literally be a combination of whatever you like. 

Prepped Ingredients

In this recipe, peppered applewood bacon counteracts the sweetness of the apples. And what's a good apple pie without the crust? Here, breadcrumbs, melted butter, and thyme lay the foundation for this melange of flavors and Thanksgiving staples.

Happy Thanksgiving from Culinary Hopscotch...enjoy!

Apple Pie Stuffing

Par-Baked Crust and Stuffing

Crust

• 1 Tbsp. Thyme, chopped
• 2 1/2 Cups Plain Breadcrumbs, plus 1/4 cup
• 4 Tbsp. Melted Butter, plus 1 Tbsp. 

  

Stuffing

• 1/4 Cup Sweet Yellow Onion, chopped
• 2 Stalks of Celery, chopped
• 1 Leek, chopped (white part only)
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil 
• 3 Sweet Red Apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• Juice of a lemon
• Dash of Nutmeg, Allspice, and Cinnamon
• 6 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon, crisped and crumbed
• 1/2 Loaf of Day-Old French Bread, cubed
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Oven-Bake Bacon for Easy Clean-Up

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drizzle the breadcrumbs and thyme with melted butter. Combine until moistened, but not wet. Press the mixture into the bottom of a metal pie tin and par-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. After prepping the apples, cover them with lemon juice to prevent browning and set aside.
4. Saute the onion, celery and leek in olive oil with the additional 1 Tbsp of butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add in the apples, and season with nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon. Continue to saute the mixture until the apples begin to soften, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
5. In a separate pan, cook the bacon slices until crispy. Drain them on paper towels, and reserve the drippings. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble it.
6. In a large bowl, toss the saute mixture with the crumbled bacon, cubed bread, and 1 cup of the chicken stock to start. This mixture shouldn't be very wet, so eyeball the consistency and add more if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour the mixture into the crust, and cover with the remaining 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Drizzle with the reserved bacon drippings and bake for 45 minutes uncovered.