Whole Wheat Stuffing With Pancetta Chestnuts And Parmesan Food

CIABATTA STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.
• Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

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.

PANCETTA AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat chicken stock in a small pot to a low simmer, then set aside over low heat.
• Add pancetta to a large low-sided pot or rondeau over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove pancetta from the pot and drain the fat, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the mushrooms and sear on all sides until golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt. Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to deglaze the pot. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the same pot on high heat, then the celery, onions, carrot and chestnuts. Cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste and cook until richly caramelized but not burnt, another 5 to 7 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with 2 cups of the chicken stock and add the reserved mushrooms. Cook until reduced by three-quarters, about 10 minutes. Season with thyme, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and turn off the heat. Add 2 more cups of the hot chicken stock to the pot along with the bread, pancetta and the reserved pancetta fat.
• Let stand for 45 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb all of the flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• If the stuffing seems dry, add the remaining cup chicken stock. Add the egg and fold to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with Parmesan and bake until a nice crust forms on top, about 25 minutes. Garnish with chives.

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.

CIABATTA STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl.
• Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic.
• Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
• Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley.
• Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta.
• Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat.
• Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten.
• Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Mix in the eggs.
• Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish.
• Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.