Cornbread Stuffing with Pancetta and Herbs

To me, the warmest, tastiest, and most inviting dish on the Thanksgiving dinner table is the stuffing—whether it’s shoved into a bird or served on the side. (And it’s just as delicious if you call it “dressing.”) I’m guilty of not making it more often throughout the year, usually waiting until the day it’s expected to be there. But whether it’s November or April, there’s only one way to make stuffing: from scratch.

Cornbread Stuffing with Pancetta and Herbs

I like using cornbread, as well as a little toasted white bread, because of that sweet corn taste and coarse texture it lends. But I would’ve never been able to come up with a recipe on my own—too many precise measurements needed in baking—so that’s why I rely on a good ol' Betty Crocker cookbook to tell me how to make it. The borrowed recipe is copied below.

Betty Crocker's Cornbread 

Note: I used only half the cornbread in this recipe because I don’t need a whole lot of stuffing. The other half can be frozen for four to six weeks.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling dish
• 3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cornbread recipe (below), about 4 cups, crumbled
• 2-1/2 cups lightly toasted white bread cubes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Stuffing Ingredients Ready to Cook

Herbs for the Stuffing

Preparation

Note: Make the cornbread first (recipe below).

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pancetta, onion, celery, and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook, stirring several times, until the pancetta is cooked and the vegetables are tender, 9-10 minutes.

Pancetta Mixture Beginning to Cook

Cooked Pancetta Mixture

1. Crumble the cornbread (recipe below) into a large bowl and add the toasted bread cubes. Add the pancetta mixture and all herbs to the bowl and stir to combine.  

Cornbread and Toasted Bread Cubes

Stuffing Mixture before Broth

1. Gradually add the warm broth to the bowl, stirring to combine.
2. Lightly oil an 11 X 9-inch baking dish. Turn the stuffing mixture into the dish, spreading to an even thickness.
3. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top, 30 minutes.

Stuffing Ready to Bake

Baked Stuffing

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Cornbread Ingredients and Preparation

(from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, New and Revised Edition, Golden Press, 1978)

• 1-1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup shortening or bacon fat (Note: I used canola oil.)
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs

1. Heat oven to 450° (F). Mix all ingredients; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Pour into greased round layer pan, 9 X 1 1/2 inches, or square pan, 8 X 8 X 2 inches. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

 *If using self-rising flour, decrease baking powder to 1 teaspoon and omit salt.

Cornbread Mixture Ready to Bake

Baked Cornbread