It's sweet, it's savory, and it's here to dress your turkey! Bacon cornbread stuffing needs to be on your plate next to the turkey, chicken, or ham - you don't have to wait for the holidays. It's so simple to make and has savory bacon, sweet cornbread, warming bourbon, and sweet maple flavors to make all your taste buds happy.
Shortcut meets homemade when you're whipping up this classic holiday side. What's the holiday turkey without buttery, soft, stuffing? Well, it's still delicious turkey, but we're going to need some of that stuffing on our plates too.
We're loving this sweet and savory twist on traditional stuffing for these reasons:
- pre-cut, already seasoned, ready to go cornbread stuffing mix
- aromatic veggies
- toasty bourbon
- savory bacon
- sweet maple
Best of all, this stuffing comes together in just minutes so while you're beautiful no baste turkey or no fuss ham is being sliced you can whip this up super fast.
How to Make Bacon Cornbread Stuffing
Chop. Saute. Drench. Cover. Fluff.
We're chopping up some aromatic vegetables - celery and onion. Sauteing bacon for that smokey, fat, and crisp texture. Then simmering it with bourbon until the alcohol cooks off.
And guess what? We're already halfway through the steps.
Then just toss everything with the cornbread stuffing mix and simmer with chicken stock. That's it! You're done.
Tip: After the chicken stock has been absorbed, cover the stuffing for 2 or 3 minutes. When you're ready to serve it, just fluff it with a fork.
Tips for Prep
Whether you're cooking for 20 or 2, the best prep for holiday cooking is to do as much in advance as you can. This cornbread stuffing is quick either way, but my favorite prep tip is to cook the veggies and bacon in advance.
When you're ready to make the stuffing, just reheat and finish the rest of the steps
If you like a dryer stuffing, don't cover after adding the chicken stock. Our family goes for a wetter style of stuffing and covering it after cooking helps moisten any cornbread pieces that might've been missed.
What are you serving alongside your stuffing? We love both turkey and ham with our holiday dinners and lots of veggies! Pureed parsnips, mashed potatoes and roasted sprouts are a must for me.
If you make this recipe, leave a comment and rating below. Be sure to let me know what you served with it too!
Bourbon Bacon Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 package cornbread stuffing mix (12-ounce bag)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 ribs celery (diced)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 6 strips bacon (chopped)
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Chop. Dice the celery and onion, set aside. Chop bacon into small pieces for easy cooking.
- Sauté. In a large saucepan or deep-sided skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes. Melt the butter in the pan and add the vegetables. Stirring occasionally, cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and add the bourbon to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid starts to reduce. Mix in the maple syrup and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Toss. Once the liquid is at a boil, remove from heat and gently mix in the cornbread stuffing mix. Cover for 2 to 3 minutes and fluff with a fork before serving.
Notes
- I like to use the Pepperidge Farm brand for stuffing mix, but use whatever you can find/your preference. As long as it's 12-ounces and dry throughout, the recipe will work.
- For dryer stuffing don't cover after adding in the cornbread stuffing mix.
- If omitting the bourbon or maple, replace it with additional chicken stock.
- Vegetables and bacon can be cooked in advance.
Nutrition
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