Blogmas Day 13 - Christmas Stuffing recipes

Hey guys!  It's not often I do food stuff on here, but I thought with it being Blogmas, it's the perfect excuse to do some Christmas recipe's :)  So, as you may know, I'm vegetarian, but I don't force that on others, so I have two recipes for you today, one is vegetarian and one isn't - they're both Christmas stuffing, ohm nom nom nom!

Chestnut, Bacon and Cranberry Stuffing

Something not typically traditional, yet incorporates traditional elements, which is why I think it sounds lovely. With both of these recipes, I haven't tried them, I found them on the wonder that is the internet, but thought they sounded lovely :)

image credit: pinterest

Ingredients

100g dried cranberries
50ml ruby port
1 small onion , chopped
2 rashers unsmoked back bacon , cut into strips
50g butter
2 garlic cloves , chopped
450g sausagemeat
140g fresh white or brown breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
140g peeled, cooked chestnuts , roughly chopped
1 medium egg , lightly beaten

Method

1)  Soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter, until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.

2)  Cool slightly, then mix with all the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough egg to bind - I find it easiest to use my hands. Fry a knob of stuffing in a little butter, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

3)  To Cook: This stuffing can be baked in a dish, or rolled into balls that will be crisp on the outside and moist inside. To bake, press the stuffing into a greased ovenproof dish in a layer that is around 4cm thick. Bake at 190C/gas 5/fan 170C for about 40 minutes, until browned and, in the case of sausagemeat stuffing, cooked right through. Alternatively, roll into balls that are about 4cm in diameter. Roast the stuffing balls in hot fat (they can be tucked around the turkey or done in a roasting tin of their own) for 30-40 minutes, until crisp and nicely browned on the outside.

And for the vegetarian option, we have....

Wild rice, chestnut and squash stuffing

This sounds delicious, I love butternut squash, and rice... and chestnuts... nom!

image credit: pinterest

Ingredients

1 onion , finely chopped
bottom half of 1 butternut squash , peeled and cut into small cubes
200g pack cooked chestnuts , chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 sage leaves, chopped plus extra sage leaves, to serve
200g mixed wild and basmati rice
500ml vegetable or chicken stock
25g Parmesan (optional) or vegetarian alternative, grated

Method

1)  Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the onion, squash and chestnuts into a roasting tin with the oil, chopped sage and seasoning, then toss well with your hands. Roast for 20 mins or until the edges of the squash start to tinge brown. If your oven is full, you can simply fry the lot together in a large frying pan.

2)  Add the rice and stir to coat it, then tip the lot into a saucepan. Add the stock and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 mins or until the rice is tender and the stock absorbed. Add cheese, if using, and tip into a baking dish. You can now cover and chill the stuffing for up to a day. To finish, heat grill to high, then cook until the top is browned and crisp and the stuffing is hot through.

You'll have to let me know if you decide to have one of these, and how it turned out :)

This months big pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Anastasia from Fashion Ramble - be sure to head over to check out her beautiful blog <3