Turkey Stuffing with Bacon & Apples

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

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

For me it’s the 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 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 turkey 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.

Key tips to the perfect stuffing:

• Use rich and flavorful turkey broth, not chicken or vegetable broth.

• Use fresh herbs instead of dried for a more flavorful stuffing.

• If you plan to stuff your bird use 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 your stuffing in the bird. 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.

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Print Recipe

Turkey Stuffing with Bacon and Apples

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

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Turkey Stuffing with Apples & Bacon

Servings: 8

Author: Ali Randall

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, 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. In a large electric skillet at medium heat, sauté the chopped bacon until crispy. Transfer to 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. Toss together gently the spices, stuffing and broth until the stuffing is moist. 
  
• Transfer the stuffing to a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan that has been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the stuffing for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes

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

What You’ll Need for this Recipe