Mmmmmmm, stufffffinnggggg. There is little more satisfying in this world than a big scoop of stuffing, on top of a slice of turkey, soaked in warm turkey gravy. Ahh, I’m making myself drool just thinking about it! This recipe, you guys, is totally drool-worthy. I mean what is not to love? Crispy ciabatta bread tossed with spicy chorizo, tender sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and an abundance of herbs and spices. Zach and I made this chorizo stuffing for the gazillionth time this past Sunday for our mock Thanksgiving dinner, and I’m still having dreams about it.
I thought I would experiment with stuffings this year. It is one of my favorite side dishes served at Thanksgiving, and I’m always attempting new and creative ways to put a spin on it. I usually go the traditional route, and even though I will be making the traditional stuff this year, I will also be adding this chorizo stuffing to the list.
The recipe is insanely simple.
You start with a loaf and a half of day-old ciabatta bread. You want it to be a little stale. Trust me on this. You cut up the bread into cubes and toast it to perfection. The more crunch you can put on those little morsels the better.
In a large saute pan, you crisp up the chorizo sausage. In the fat that gets rendered from the chorizo, you saute mushrooms, onions and sweet potatoes to golden perfection. OMG, I could seriously just eat this sausage-y vegetable medley right out of the pan. It’s soooooo good.
To a large bowl you add the cubes of toasted ciabatta, chorizo, vegetable mixture, a lovely array of herbs and spices, warm chicken broth, eggs and butter. I mixed up the ingredients with my hands. I definitely think this is the easiest route if you really want the chorizo stuffing to be mixed thoroughly. You pour it into a large baking dish and cover. Place that bad boy in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but I recommend leaving it overnight. The bread soaks up all of that brothy goodness. After the chorizo stuffing has chilled, you place it in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about an hour.
In the end, you have the must scrumptious chorizo stuffing. Oh, and it gets better as it sits for a day or two. I have tested this method. ;)
I hope you guys enjoy the recipe and are having a fabulous Wednesday! Get those Thanksgiving recipe gears turning and add this chorizo stuffing to the menu!
Yields 10
30 minPrep Time
1 hrCook Time
3 hr, 30 Total Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chorizo sausage, removed from the casing if applicable
- 8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, washed and diced (peel if desired)
- salt and black pepper
- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 loaves day-old ciabatta bread, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 10 -12 cups), lightly toasted
- 2 cups chicken broth, warmed through (more as needed if the stuffing isn't moist enough)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Spray a large 9x13 inch baking dish (or two smaller ones) with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium. Add the chorizo, and cook until brown and cooked through. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess fat.
- With the burner left on, add the mushrooms to the saute pan, and cook until they just begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sweet potato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 more minutes or until the onions are tender and the sweet potatoes are just a little brown around the edges. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
- In a very large bowl, add the chorizo, vegetable mixture, bread cubes, 2 cups of chicken broth, eggs, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage and a generous amount of salt and pepper. With a large spoon (or your hands) mix all of the ingredients together until they are very thoroughly combined. This may take a few minutes.
- Pour the stuffing into your prepared dish(es). Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pan in the oven and bake, covered, for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes to crisp up the top.
- Serve with turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes!
Notes
Inactive Time: 2 hours or overnight. It's even better the next day, and the day after that. ;)
