Hearty Whole Wheat Stuffing Food

WHOLE WHEAT STUFFING WITH PANCETTA, CHESTNUTS, AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Toss bread cubes and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Spread in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake until bread cubes are golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then return bread cubes to same large bowl.
• Sauté pancetta in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp, adding oil if dry, about 6 minutes. Tilting skillet to allow pan drippings to accumulate at 1 end and using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to bowl with bread cubes. Add chestnuts and shallots to drippings in skillet; sauté until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add thyme and rosemary; stir 1 minute. Transfer mixture to bowl with bread. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Boil 3 cups broth in medium saucepan until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk eggs in another large bowl. Mix in cheese. Gradually whisk in broth. Pour broth mixture over chestnut-bread mixture. Sprinkle with black pepper and stir well.
• Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Cover dish with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered until top is golden brown and slightly crisp around edges, about 20 minutes longer.
• Peeled cooked chestnuts; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

HEARTY WHOLE WHEAT STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut bread into cubes and set aside in a large bowl. (Bread crumbs need not be dried.).
• Peel onion and garlic cloves. Wash all vegetables and clean seeds from red pepper.
• Slice onions, garlic, celery, red pepper, and mushrooms, discarding the stems.
• Saute onions and celery in olive oil for several minutes, slowly stirring in half the spices (except for sage).
• Add garlic, red pepper, and remainder of spices, continuing to saute vegetables.
• Add mushrooms and continue to stir all vegetables as they cook. Add more olive oil as needed.
• Scramble eggs in a separate bowl. Remove vegetables from burner before onions brown.
• Add vegetables to bread cubes in bowl and stir. Add broth and continue to stir until moist.
• Add eggs and sage to stuffing mixture in bowl and mix until evenly distributed.
• Spray or wipe baking pans with olive oil. Place and distribute bread crumb mixture in pans.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake dressing mixture in hot oven for 20-30 minutes (uncovered).
• Remove stuffing from oven once it is crisp and lightly browned on top but still moist inside.
• Cover with foil and keep stuffing warm until it is ready to serve.

WHOLE-WHEAT STUFFING WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Arrange bread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until dried out, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, breaking up meat with a wooden spatula, for 4 minutes. Stir in celery, garlic, and onion. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Combine bread, sausage-vegetable mixture, stock, egg, parsley, thyme, and sage in a large bowl. Transfer stuffing to an 11-inch oval baking dish. Cover with parchment-lined foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn on broiler. Uncover stuffing, and broil 9 to 10 inches from heat source until top is golden brown and crunchy, about 1 minute. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

MIDWESTERN WHOLE WHEAT DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Arrange bread slices on oven rack and bake until very dry but not brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer bread to very large bowl.
• Coarsely crumble bread. Mix in cherries, raisins, currants and prunes. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Add to stuffing. Mix in thyme. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Mix in eggs.
• To bake stuffing in turkey:
• Mix 3/4 cup broth into stuffing. Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 to 1 cup broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.
• To bake all stuffing in pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Mix 2 3/4 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.