Bacon Leek Stuffing with Sage and Pecans

Bacon leek stuffing with sage and pecans is absolutely delicious! Whether you stuff your bird or bake it on the side, its amazing!

Really this should be called heaven in a baking dish. Because it totally is.

This stuffing has it all. I mean bacon, leeks, sage and pecans… it’s a stuffing that won’t let you down.

But I get it, you probably already have your stuffing for Thanksgiving all squared away. However, just in case you want to bookmark one for another holiday… like um Christmas… then I’ve got you covered.

This stuffing is darn easy, and let’s face it… it has bacon.

Now, before you get on me about the non-scratchy ingredient above let me just say… sometimes, just sometimes I take short cuts. So I hope that since I didn’t cut up my own bread to turn into stuffing cubes and I let someone else do it for me,  you could forgive me :). {Thank you Brownberry!}

Moving on. Trim off the long, dark green ends and the root-y tip of two leeks before halving them and slicing half inch half-moons.

Then just swoosh them in a large bowl filled with cold water to release any sandy dirt. It will fall to the bottom of the bowl while the leeks float on top.

Then just remove the floating leeks and let’em drain on some paper towel.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in the two tablespoons of olive oil.

Quickly drop in the bacon and let it cook until crispy.

Almost there…

I had my oldest watch over the bacon while I got going on the rest of the prep work.

Like chopping up the pecans, sage and bacon… and since she was doing such a fine job I even beat up an egg.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Ahhhh crispy bacon-y goodness.

In a large mixing bowl add the 5 cups of stuffing mix or stale bread that has been cubed small.

Add in the bacon.

And the pecans.

Moving back to the pan, drain off all but two tablespoons of the fat before dropping in the celery.

…and leeks.

Sprinkle with a little s & p and cook those until slightly soft.

Now just throw in the minced garlic.

And the chopped sage and cook for one to two minutes.

Deglaze the pan with a quarter cup of stock and give it a stir.

Add the pan of leeks and celery to the large bowl.

Pour in the beaten egg.

And lastly the chicken stock.

Give it a good stir, adding more stock if it seems too dry.

Spoon it all into a baking dish and dot with a tablespoon of butter. Now you can just throw this into a preheated 375 degree oven to bake for 35-45 minute or until its crispy and golden brown on top.

Such a fancy stuffing. You should see what else I did with this Bacon Leek Stuffing!

Enjoy! And if you give this Bacon Leek Stuffing recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

My cookbook Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance! 

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Yield: 8 servings

Bacon, Leek Stuffing with Sage and Pecans

Bacon, leeks, sage and pecans combined with broth and cubed bread to make for one fantastical stuffing! Yields roughly 8 cups serves about 6.

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, sliced
• 2 leeks, trimmed, halved and sliced into half moons
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 18-20 medium fresh sage leaves, sliced
• 5 to 6 cups cubed bread or stuffing mix, or small cubes of stale bread
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1½ to 2 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
• kosher salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

Instructions 

• In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add two tablespoons of Olive Oil.
• Once hot, add in the sliced bacon and cook until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
• In a large bowl combine the stuffing mix, crispy bacon and chopped pecans.
• Drain off all but two tablespoons of fat/oil and add in the sliced celery and leeks. Season with salt and black pepper and cook until the leeks are soft and somewhat translucent.
• Add in the minced garlic and sage, cook for 1 to 2 minutes then deglaze the pan with a quarter cup of stock.
• Add the cooked leeks and celery into the bowl with the stuffing and toss.
• Add in the beaten egg and 1-1/2 cups of stock, or enough to make the bread moist without making it too soggy.
• Place the stuffing in a shallow baking dish and dot it with a tablespoon of butter.
• Pop the stuffing into a 375 degree oven and bake until the stuffing is hot and the top is golden and crispy. About 35-45 minutes.

Calories: 339kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 402mg, Potassium: 286mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 527IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 2mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

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