This Thanksgiving turned out to be extra special because it was the first time my mother-in-law came to share it with us. I wanted to make sure that the food was perfect, so naturally, I turned to my attention to my most favorite dish: stuffing. Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta really is amazing, but you’re going to put in some elbow grease first to get it done right. The reason? There is a ton of chopping prep that needs to happen before you can make it. The stuffing, it turned out, took more active cooking time than the Roasted Earl Grey Turkey I made.

Like I mentioned, start with the chopping. Note…the chestnuts don’t need to be chopped. You can coarsely break them with your fingers. They are soft and start to crumble with a little pressure.

Then, sauté the pancetta. Set it aside. Continue with sautéing the mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) and rosemary. The aroma is out of this world.

When finished, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake for about 30 minutes covered, and 10 minutes uncovered. Top with a little more parmesan shavings and some fresh parsley.

Serving Suggestions

Every bite gives you a bit of buttered, sautéed bread, and in that regard, the stuffing is almost like a panzanella (bread salad). You also get salty, crunchy bits of pancetta, and the nutty flavors of the roasted chestnuts and parmesan cheese. The egg and the broth are now cooked into the stuffing, so you also get moist, flavorful bites as well, with hints of rosemary throughout.

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Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta

Bits of ciabatta is mixed with mirepoix, pancetta, parmesan, butter, and chestnuts to make a bread stuffing might be better than the turkey!

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Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: servings

Author: Four to Cook For

Equipment

3-quart glass casserole dish (13"x 9")
Skillet

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter (about 3/4 stick)
10 ounces pancetta, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
14.8 ounces roasted and peeled chestnuts, coarsely broken (about 1 jar)
1 large day-old ciabatta bread loaf, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup or more chicken stock
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter a casserole dish.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley.
Transfer this mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta.
Add the bread and parmesan cheese and toss to coat.
Mix in the eggs.
Add enough stock to the stuffing mixture to moisten.
Season the stuffing with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and back until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Notes

Trader Joes and Winco sell 5 oz packages of pancetta already diced. Trader Joes also sells a package of prechopped mirapoix (celery, onions, and carrots). If you use this, estimate four cups for this recipe. The jar of chestnuts is typically a seasonal item, so you may need to purchase this item first to determine if you'll even have it on-hand to make. (I found the last jar at Cost Plus World Market.)

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or tag @fourtocookfor and hashtag #fourtocookfor on Instagram.

Recipe from Food Network.

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