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Are you looking for the perfect homemade stuffing recipe to wow your friends and family this holiday season? Look no further than this classic sage and onion stuffing recipe. It’s delicious, it is easy to make, and it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. So let’s get started making the best stuffing ever!
Page Contents
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Sage And Onion Stuffing ~ Step-By-Step
- Why You’ll Love This Sage And Onion Stuffing Recipe
- Recipe Variations
- Tips For Making The Perfect Stuffing
- Sage And Onion Stuffing Recipe ~ FAQs
- More Side Dishes
- How To Make Sage And Onion Stuffing ~ Full Recipe
- Pin The Best Stuffing For Later!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Stale Wholemeal Bread – will hold together when mixed with the other ingredients.
- Half & Half (Single Cream) – to add moisture and richness to the sage and onion stuffing.
- Nutmeg – adds another layer of festive flavor to the stuffing.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – to sauté the vegetables, making them soft and flavorful.
- Pancetta – adds a deliciously salty, smoky flavor.
- Red Onion – you can’t have sage and onion stuffing without the onion!
- Celery Sticks – celery is a great choice for stuffing because it’s low in calories and fat and has a high water content. It will keep your stuffing moist, and it will also add flavor to the dish.
- Garlic – adds depth to sage and onion stuffing.
- Fresh Sage – adds an earthy flavor that helps enhance the flavor of the other ingredients in the recipe without overpowering them.
- Lemon – add brightness to the dish.
- Ground Pork (pork mince) – adds plenty of texture to the dish.
- Apple – for a touch of sweetness.
- Cooked Chestnuts – Because a festive stuffing wouldn’t be the same without them!
- Butter (optional) – creates a to-die-for crispy crust that everyone fights over.
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make Sage And Onion Stuffing ~ Step-By-Step
- Soak
Place the cubes of stale bread in a medium bowl, pour in the cream, and add the nutmeg. Mix to combine and sit to one side, so the bread soaks up the liquid.
- Sauté
In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the pancetta, red onion, and celery over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.
- Flavor Boost
Once the vegetables have softened and the pancetta is crispy, add the garlic, sage, and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add
Tip the vegetable and pancetta mixture into a large bowl and add the bread mixture, ground pork, apple, chestnuts, salt, and pepper.
- Mix
With your hands or a wooden spoon, gently combine all the ingredients together.
- Bake
Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared casserole dish and dot with butter (optional). Bake in a hot oven for 30-35 minutes until the stuffing is crispy on top and the pork is cooked through.
- Serve & Enjoy!
This dish serves ten as a side and is the perfect accompaniment to your Sunday roast, Thanksgiving, or Christmas day feast.
Full recipe and ingredients list in the recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love This Sage And Onion Stuffing Recipe
- Delicious – This is the most important reason, of course. My stuffing recipe is packed with flavor, and everyone who’s tried it has loved it. I’m confident that you’ll love it too!
- Easy – Stuffing can be a bit of a hassle, but this recipe is easy to follow and doesn’t require any special ingredients or equipment.
- Versatile – This stuffing is perfect with your Christmas roast turkey, but it’s also great year-round. Serve it with roast chicken at your Sunday roast dinner table.
- Freezer-Friendly – Have leftovers? No problem! This stuffing freezes beautifully so that you can enjoy it anytime.
- Real Food – This stuffing recipe is made with real food ingredients, including quality protein, and plenty of vegetables, so you can feel good about serving it to your family and friends.
Recipe Variations
- Sausage Meat Stuffing – you can easily swap out ground pork (pork mince) with sausage meat. I recommend checking the labels to ensure you are buying 100% meat to avoid added sugars, fillers, and preservatives going into your stuffing.
- Gluten-Free Stuffing – to make a gluten-free version of this stuffing, use gluten-free bread.
Tips For Making The Perfect Stuffing
1Start With Good Stale Bread
One of the primary reasons to use stale bread for stuffing is that it’s better able to absorb flavors. This means your stuffing will be more flavorful if you use stale bread. I’m using a simple wholemeal loaf, but you could use sourdough or a rustic loaf to give your stuffing a nice flavor and texture. Avoid using white bread, as it will be too bland.
2Moisture
A beautiful stuffing needs moisture. I use cream to add richness, but you can just as easily use chicken stock or vegetable stock. Both of these ingredients will give the stuffing a nice flavor and make it extra moist. Just be sure not to overdo it, as you don’t want the stuffing too wet.
3Bake It In The Oven
Baking the stuffing in the oven is the best way to get it nice and crispy on the outside while still keeping it moist on the inside.
Sage And Onion Stuffing Recipe ~ FAQs
Yes! Sage and onion stuffing is a classic holiday dish that can be made ahead of time to save on last-minute prep. You’ll want to cook the dish fully, let it cool, and place it in an airtight container.
This stuffing recipe will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days when properly stored in an airtight container.
Yes! This stuffing recipe will keep in the freezer for 3 months when properly stored in an airtight container.
Yes! The best way to reheat this stuffing is in the oven from chilled. Place it in a preheated oven at 350ºF/180ºC/gas 4 in an oven-proof baking dish and bake covered with foil for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until piping hot.
Yes! ‘Dressing’ is the term more commonly used in the U.S., particularly in the southern States, whereas ‘Stuffing’ is more commonly used here in the UK. They both refer to the bready, brothy, vegetable, sausage-meaty dish we are creating today.
More Side Dishes
Looking for more side dishes to serve with your Sunday roasts, Christmas dinner, or Thanksgiving feast? Check out some of my favorite recipes.
How To Make Sage And Onion Stuffing ~ Full Recipe
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Sage And Onion Stuffing Recipe
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10
Description
Are you looking for the perfect stuffing recipe to wow your friends and family this holiday season? Look no further than this sage and onion stuffing recipe. It’s delicious, it is easy to make, and it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. So let’s get started making the best stuffing ever!
Ingredients
- 2 slices stale wholemeal bread, torn into approx 2cm squares
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream (double cream) or chicken/vegetable stock
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 3/4 cup (110 g) pancetta, diced
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 25 (10 g) sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1.1 lb (500 g) ground pork (pork mince)
- 1 sweet apple, grated (like pink lady or gala)
- 3/4 cup (100 g) cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp butter (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Gather your equipment and get your ingredients ready. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/ 180ºC/ gas mark 4. Grease an ovenproof dish with olive oil.
- Soak: Place the bread cubes in a medium bowl, pour the cream, and add the nutmeg. Mix to combine and sit to one side, so the bread soaks up the liquid.
- Sauté: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the pancetta, chopped onion, and celery for about 8-10 minutes. The vegetables should have softened and golden brown. Now add the garlic, sage, and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute more.
- Mix: Tip the vegetables and pancetta mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the bread mixture, ground pork, apple, chestnuts, salt, and pepper. With your hands or a wooden spoon, combine all the ingredients together.
- Bake: Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared oven dish and dot with butter (optional). Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the stuffing has a crispy top and the pork is cooked through.
- Serve: This dish serves 10 as a side and is the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving day or Christmas day feast.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: Sage and onion stuffing can be made ahead of time to save on last-minute prep. You’ll want to cook the dish fully, let it cool, and place it in an airtight container.
- Leftovers: This Sage and onion stuffing will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container.
- Reheating Instructions:
- Oven – The best way to reheat this stuffing is in the oven from chilled. Place it in a preheated oven at 350ºF/180ºC/gas 4 in an oven-proof dish and bake covered with foil for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until piping hot.
- Microwave – Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave for about 6-8 minutes or until piping hot.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: christmas dinner, roast dinner, thanksgiving dinner, pork, side dishes
Thinking of making this Stuffing recipe? I’d love to know how it turns out. Get in touch via the comments section, and let me know!
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