Bacon Pecan Stuffing

The “preparing for Thanksgiving dinner” emails have started going back and forth, and we decided we definitely wanted stuffing on the menu. So, my ears perked up when I was channel-surfing during lunch and saw a news segment showcasing Bonefish Grill and their Bacon Pecan Stuffing. (This isn’t our local station, but it looks like they got the recipes from here, particularly since there was also salmon on the plate.) For our holiday dinner this year, should I try this new recipe, make Cody’s traditional Sausage Stuffing, or just mix together a package of stuffing from the store? Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Maple Bacon Pecan Stuffing

• 2 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup water or chicken broth

Cook the bacon until almost crisp, then stir the butter, onions, celery and garlic into the pan and cook until soft. Add the pecans, thyme, salt, maple syrup and breadcrumbs. Heat through. Stir in water if too dry.

Note that the above doesn’t make a lot, and probably isn’t meant to stuff a turkey. This recipe has basically the same ingredients, but enough to serve a large crowd. Or you could just double or quadruple the above recipe – except for the butter; that already seems to be a bit overkill, but that’s probably why this gets rave reviews!

We tried the new recipe, although I didn’t really measure. Just cooked some bacon with onions and celery; added some butter, thyme, garlic powder, salt, maple syrup and pecans; mixed in some dried bread crumbs and water until it looked good; then baked for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.