A Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing Recipe + Some Thoughts
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound Mexican chorizo, casing removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 batch (about 1.5 pounds) cornbread, preferably homemade (I used this recipe)
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed (homemade if you've got it!)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for topping
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat, then add the chorizo. Using a wooden spoon, break up the chorizo, and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter along with the onion, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook until the veggies soften and the mixture starts to caramelize (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add a splash of chicken stock to the pot to deglaze the skillet, then take it off the heat.
- Crumble cornbread into a large bowl, leaving some pieces on the larger side. Gently stir in the pecans, warm chorizo mixture and parsley. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, chicken stock and 4 tablespoons melted butter. Drizzle liquids over the stuffing, and gently fold to combine. If the stuffing looks a little dry, add a splash more of chicken stock. The stuffing should look moist, but not wet. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I added about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt). Transfer stuffing to the prepared baking dish.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered until hot (at least 150° in center) and lightly browned (about 25 minutes).Top with a sprinkling of parsley.
Notes
This stuffing can be prepared 1 day in advance up to step 3. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Bring casserole to room temp before continuing with step 4 or bake the chilled casserole for a longer time period (may take up to 45 minutes).
If you are preparing this dish on Thanksgiving with other sides in the oven, the stuffing can be baked at 325°F or 350°F, depending on temperatures needed bake other casseroles. If baking at 325°F, plan on cooking for 30 - 35 minutes.