Bacon and Sage Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

For the cornbread:

• 1 ¼ cups cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar)
• ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 egg

For the stuffing:

• 6 strips bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped sage
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 5 stalks celery, diced
• Salt & pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2–3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 400ºF and lightly grease a 9-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the centre and add in the buttermilk, butter, honey, and egg. Stir just until combined. If you have time, set the batter aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will improve the texture and rise of the final cornbread. If you don’t have time, the cornbread will be a little more dense but still delicious.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cornbread in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the stuffing, turn the oven down to 375ºF and grease a braiser or 9- by 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Dice the cooled cornbread into ¾-inch cubes and spread onto an ungreased large sheet pan in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until lightly crisp and golden brown.
5. Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large sauté pan or pot and place over medium heat. As the pan heats, the bacon fat should render out. Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon to a place and set aside to cool. Once cool, finely chop the bacon.
6. Add the butter to the pan with the remaining bacon fat along with the sage. Cook for 30 seconds to perfume the fat then add in the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened, turning down the heat if the veg begins to brown too much. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute then transfer the veg mixture to a large bowl along with the toasted cornbread and chopped bacon and stir gently to combine.
7. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together 2 cups of the broth with the eggs. Pour this mixture over the cornbread, scatter in the parsley, and toss to combine. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add more broth a splash at a time until it reaches an evenly moist consistency.
8. Transfer the cornbread mixture to the prepared braiser or baking dish and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes then uncover and continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden on top and set in the centre.

Recipe note: To get ahead, make the cornbread up to 3 days in advance and store tightly wrapped on the counter. You can also fully prep the stuffing up to 1 day in advance before baking and store in the fridge or even fully bake the stuffing and simply reheat in the oven along with the rest of your sides. If reheating, cover the pan to retain moisture and only uncover for the last few minutes to re-crisp the top.