Pear, Chestnut and Sage Dressing/Stuffing

"I found this recipe in The Wine Spectator, and ever since have given up making my old standby which was Apple, Pecan and Sausage stuffing. I normally make this outside the turkey (or chicken) but since there are no eggs, it is probably safe use to as a stuffing. It is great leftover for sandwiches and I always make extra! This version uses less butter than the original. It is important to use fresh chestnuts, if you can. Water Chestnuts change the taste, and chestnuts from a jar just don't hold up well."
 
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photo by a food.com user photo by a food.com user
Ready In:
1hr 20mins
Ingredients:
12
Serves:
12
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Saute the onion, carrot and celery over low heat in butter until soft, about 8 minutes.
  • Combine the pears, chestnuts, sausage, herbs and bread in a large bowl.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and butter to the bowl.
  • Lightly toss.
  • Add enough stock (a little at a time) to lightly moisten the bread without allowing it to become soggy.
  • Handle the dressing gently when mixing.
  • Season to taste with the salt and pepper, being especially generous with the black pepper.
  • Spoon the dressing into a buttered 9x13 baking pan and cover with foil.
  • Bake for about 45 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the temperature of the dressing reaches 160 degrees.
  • Serve immediately.

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Reviews

  1. This is a really good stuffing, the chestnuts do add something special to it. I agree with the other reviewer, peeling them is very time consuming, so just be prepared for that. I used a tablespoon of butter instead of a cup (that would have overkill for us!). The one thing I think is missing in this recipe is toasting the bread. I did not do toast it, since it wasn't included in the directions, but the result is a mushy bread (and I only used 2 cups of the broth). I think then it would be really great. Thanks!
     
  2. This was so good. I received so many compliments on Thanksgiving. I added mushrooms to the recipe because I love them. Other than that, I didn't make any changes at all. Beware that prepping and peeling the chestnuts took quite awhile, but the flavor was well worth it. I loved this stuffing!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>My favorite cookbook, well I guess I have 3...The Way to Cook, by Julia Child, the Low Fat Living Cookbook and The California Wine Country Cookbook II. I am retired, due to no longer being able to work because of complications from the Crohns Disease I have lived with since 1971. For a while I didn't even do any cooking or knitting since the inflammatory arthrisis (secondary to the Crohns) was too painful in my hands and feet. Fortunately I am now on a drug protocol that seems to be working, but I am still not able to be as productive as I would like. Still can't work, but I am cooking and knitting again. My husband and I moved to Surprise, Arizona at the end of January 2005. My husband is retired from being in the wine business. I love to cook (and we love to eat) and am always looking for new recipies to try. Due to a slight blood sugar problem my husband has to stick to a diet that eliminates sugars and bad carbs, so I have had to modify a lot of the recipes we like. I love Recipezaar, as I have found so many good, healthy recipes here. I hope you enjoy the recipes that I post as much as I have enjoyed the new ones I've found here.</p>
 
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