Roasted Chestnut Stuffing

Course Other, Side dishes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 16

Servings people

Ingredients

18 oz day old cornbread – cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
8 oz chestnuts roasted & peeled - coarsely chopped (See Notes) (about 1 1/2 cups)
kosher salt
black pepper ground - to taste
5 1/2 tbs unsalted butter - divided
1 small onion yellow – small dice (about 1 1/4 cup)
2 large stalks celery – small dice (about ¾ cup)
16 oz pork sausage (see notes)
2 to 3 cloves garlic - minced, to taste
1 heaping tbs thyme fresh leaves - finely chopped
2 heaping tbs parsley fresh flat leaf - finely chopped
1 heaping tbs rosemary fresh leaves - finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock divided
2 large eggs
fresh herbs - parsley and/or thyme garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toast cornbread: Spread cubed cornbread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake until golden and lightly toasted, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray an 8x11’’ baking dish. Set aside.
Meanwhile, toast chestnuts: Melt 1 ½ tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped chestnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until chestnuts are golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chestnuts to a large bowl. Wipe out the pan with paper towels.
Sauté vegetables and sausage: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. Sweat the vegetables until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the sausage and season again with salt and pepper. Cook, using the back of a wooden to break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the sausage begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup of stock. Transfer to a large bowl with chestnuts.
Whisk eggs with stock and add to stuffing mixture: In a measuring cup, add 1 cup of chicken stock and eggs. Whisk until combined. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture. Add the toasted cornbread. Gently fold everything until evenly combined, taking care not to mash the cornbread. (The mixture should look wet. If you like your stuffing really wet, add another ¼- ½ cup of stock.)
Bake: Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil (SEE NOTES IF MAKING IN ADVANCE). Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove stuffing from the oven, uncover and brush with melted butter. Continue to bake, UNCOVERED, for 20-30 minutes or until the stuffing is hot and the top is golden and crisped.
Serve: Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and enjoy!

Notes

Roasted Chestnut Stuffing

This Roasted Chestnut and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing is bursting with robust flavors! Rich from the chestnuts, salty from the sausage, sweet and buttery from the cornbread, and herbaceous from the trio of herbs! This stuffing is a million times better than the pre-prepared mix and so easy to make!

*Updated*

This post was originally published in November 2014. I’ve updated the post below to include new photos and more information about chestnut stuffing. Plus, I’ve included step-by-step photos to show you how quick and easy this cornbread dressing is to make!

Overhead photo of cubed, toasted cornbread spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet - photo of step 2 of the chestnut stuffing recipe.

Overhead photo of sauteed sausage, onions, celery and herbs in a white saute pan - - photo of step 5 of the chestnut stuffing recipe.

Overhead photo of a glass mixing bowl neatly filled with toasted, cubed cornbread, roasted chestnuts and sauteed sausage - photo of step 6 of the roasted chestnut stuffing recipe.