Dressed for the Holidays - Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms, Bacon and Leeks and Some Other Favorites

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This Thanksgiving, pork replaced turkey on my holiday table. Despite that, I still wanted to serve a dressing to accompany the roasted racks that were the centerpiece of our meal. As long as I was manipulating the menu, I decided to try a new stuffing as well. I've had this recipe for sourdough stuffing with mushrooms, bacon and leeks for over a decade now, but never tried it because my family was so firmly attached to the corn and sausage stuffing that I usually serve with our holiday dinner. The recipe came from Bon Appétit magazine, so I knew it would be good. Besides that, how bad can a dish that has almost a pound of bacon in it be? It was delicious and got rave reviews, but I must admit I am still partial to the old corn and sausage stuffing that was part of our past Thanksgiving feasts. As long as I was at it, I decided to put all my dressing recipes in one place and this post seemed the logical spot to do it. At one time or another, I have made all the recipes that appear below. They are all good and I have no hesitation in passing the lot of them on to you. I hope one or two of them will catch your eye and you'll give them a try.

Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms, Bacon and Leeks...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bon Appétit magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/4 pounds sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
3/4 pound bacon (about 12 slices), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 medium)
3 cups chopped celery
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 tablespoons dried sage leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2-1/2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread bread cubes on 2 baking sheets. Bake until bread cubes are dry and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Transfer bread to large bowl.
2) Sauté bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from skillet. Add chopped leeks and celery to skillet and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Pour mushroom mixture over bread cubes. Add bacon and toss to blend. Mix in 2 cups broth. (Stuffing can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Beat eggs and baking powder in small bowl to blend. Mix eggs into stuffing; moisten stuffing with more broth if stuffing is dry. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake stuffing until cooked through and golden brown on top, about 1 hour. Yield: 12 servings.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

Apple, Sage and Sausage Dressing

Ina Garten's Herb and Apple Stuffing

Bobby Flay's Sourdough, Wild Mushroom and Bacon Dressing

Giada De Laurentis' Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta

World's Best Corn and Sausage Stuffing