SOURDOUGH, WILD MUSHROOM, AND BACON DRESSING

Sourdough, Wild Mushroom, and Bacon Dressing image

I grew up calling any side dish of seasoned, moistened, and baked bread cubes "stuffing," but I've been corrected enough times to have changed my ways: If it goes inside the turkey or chicken, it's stuffing. If it's cooked in a dish of its very own, it's officially dressing. As it so happens, I like to serve this side with more than just poultry, and I especially love the browned crust, so dressing it is! Two other key factors in delivering dynamic texture are to toast the cubes of tangy sourdough bread first and to use a combination of thinly sliced and coarsely chopped mushrooms. Roasting the mushrooms before mixing with the other ingredients heightens their deep earthy flavor while cooking off any excess liquid. Studded with salty bits of bacon and fresh herbs, this side dish is destined to become a favorite of your Thanksgiving-or any dinner-table.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
11/4 pounds sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 to 6 cups chicken stock, homemade (page 240) or store-bought, as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.
Spread the bread on a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller baking sheets) in an even layer and bake, stirring a few times, until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Put the cubes into a very large bowl.
Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
Combine the mushrooms in a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet, toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring several times, until soft and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
While the mushrooms are roasting, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the sauté pan and return to the stove over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock, the sage, thyme, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Add the mushrooms to the bread. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then whisk in a few tablespoons of the warm stock mixture. Add the eggs and the rest of the stock mixture to the bread, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. The dressing should be very wet; add more stock as needed. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.