Easy Turkey Stuffing with Bacon & Apple

Homemade turkey stuffing with apples and bacon is a perfect side dish that belongs on any holiday table.

What’s your favorite thing about Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner?

For me it’s the bread stuffing.

Or maybe you call it dressing.

Folks can get pretty particular about their stuffing.

Sausage?

Oysters?

Cornbread?

Not this gal. I like to keep things simple.

I prefer to bake my Thanksgiving stuffing in a casserole pan in the oven.

Just add crunchy, juicy pieces of Honeycrisp apple and crisp crumbles of cooked bacon.

It’s just the right balance of sweet and salty.

Learn how to make the very best apple and bacon stuffing

Over the years I’ve tried cooking it in the bird, in a crockpot and in the oven.

After many years of perfecting this recipe, the oven is my preferred method for stuffing that has a bit of crunch to it.

Making the stuffing has become a family affair, with my boys chopping apples and onions.

I guess you can say my stuffing is made with love.

It’s got big flavor with savory herbs and is always a hit on my Thanksgiving table.

Key tips to the perfect bacon and apple stuffing recipe

• Use rich and flavorful turkey broth, not chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• Choose your favorite apple. I think the best apples are honeycrisp, but this recipe is easily adjustable if you prefer granny smith apples or a more tart flavor.
• Use fresh herbs instead of dried for a more flavorful stuffing.
• Use store bought dry bread cubes from the bakery or prebagged in the center grocery aisles. Purchase 2-inch cubes for best results.
• If you prefer a stuffed turkey, stuff the bird using 1.5 cup of broth instead of two and stuff loosely. The stuffing should be moist not gummy. That bird is juicy and no one like soggy stuffing!
• Use a thermometer to check the stuffing in the turkey cavity. It should reach 180°F. If the turkey is done but the stuffing isn’t, transfer the stuffing to a casserole dish and finish baking in the oven.
• If you make the stuffing ahead of time, hold off on adding the broth to the prepared dish until just before baking.

More Thanksgiving recipes

• HOW TO MAKE AHEAD AND REHEAT MASHED POTATOES
• CHEESY PANCETTA GREEN BEANS
• THE BEST BROCCOLI CASSEROLE WITH RITZ CRACKERS TOPPING
• EASY CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIES RECIPE (GLUTEN FREE)
• HOW TO MAKE THANKSGIVING GIBLET GRAVY FROM SCRATCH
• HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH APPLES AND CINNAMON
• EASY CORNBREAD PUDDING RECIPE

Easy Turkey Stuffing with Bacon and Apple

Ali Randall

Homemade turkey stuffing with apples and bacon is a perfect side dish that belongs on any holiday table.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1 apple
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups turkey stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 12-ounce bag herb seasoned stuffing
• Cooking spray

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Add the onion, celery, carrots to the bacon grease and sauté until the vegetables are soft. Add the apples and bacon and mix well. Toss together gently the spices, stuffing and broth until the stuffing is moist. 
  
• Prepare a baking dish by spraying cooking spray to the sides and bottom of the pan.
• In a large skillet at medium-high heat, sauté the chopped bacon until crispy.
• Place bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the onion, celery, carrots to the bacon grease and sauté until the vegetables are soft. Add the apples and bacon and mix well.
• With a slotted spoon, toss together gently the spices, bread mixture and broth until the stuffing is moist. 
• Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. that has been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake the stuffing for 30 to 40 minutes cooking time or until lightly golden brown.
• Tent the dish with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Notes

The stuffing can be prepared one day ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Keyword Turkey Stuffing with Apples & Bacon

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