Slinging Stuffing

A Side Dish Assist from Sara Range aka @polygrill17

It’s thanksgiving week! Hopefully you’ve listened to the podcast by now, if not you can find it here.

With turkey concerns behind us, they’re covered in the podcast, I reached out to Sara Range (@polygrill17 on Instagram) to see if she could put her “fancy barbecue” spin on a holiday classic. As I’m sure you can tell from the photo she knocked it out of the park. Here’s her recipe. My limited commentary will be written in italics. Follow her on Instagram and tag her, and me (@joshgregoryofficial) if you use the recipe.

Smoky Beer, Cheese & Bacon Thanksgiving Stuffing

By @PolyGrill17

Serves: 4–6

Description: A unique and modern take on Thanksgiving stuffing can be made in the oven or try it on a pellet smoker for an unexpected wood-fired flavor to amp up your holiday feast!

Ingredients

• 1 large sourdough or French loaf, cubed (~10–12 cups)
• 8 pieces thick-cut bacon
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (~1 cup)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (~1.5 cups)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 bottle or can of your favorite beer (Lighter craft beers like lagers and IPAs a work well here! I used Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups smoked gouda cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

Preparation

The key to making this with ease is to do your “mise en place”, which means to prep all the ingredients before you start cooking. To get started:

(Remember Commandment #2 from Principles and Prescriptions? This is it in action. Remember cooking intentionally and being prepared not only eases the stress of the day but reminds you why you’ve embarked on this adventure in the first place)

• Slice bread into 3/4” cube, or to get even more texture, tear into cubes by hand. Cubes can be smaller (1/2”) or larger (1”) based on your preference. Spread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and set aside.
• Line another baking sheet with foil, top with a baking rack and place bacon on rack. Set aside. (You can cook the bacon on the stovetop but doing it this way is much easier, you’ll thank me later.)
• Peel onion and dice. Wash celery, trim off base and leaves, and dice. Keep the size of the dice consistent with your bread cube side. (Smaller/Bigger cubes = smaller/larger dice.) Set aside.Cut stick of butter in half, set aside.
• Grate cheese and set aside.
• Strip off 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme leaves from sprig and finely mince. Do same with sage. Set aside.
• Pop open beer bottle or can. Drink half and relax, it’s time to cook! Set aside.
• Congrats, you’ve done mise en place like a real chef!

1. Set grill or oven to 375º. (For all my fellow Traeger fans, this is a perfect opportunity to add another layer of flavor. Also, quit tagging me in that video, you know who you are)
2. Place baking sheets with bread and bacon in grill or oven. Toast bread for 20–30 minutes or until completed toasted and golden brown. Remove bread and set aside to cool. Continue cooking bacon until it reaches desired crispiness. Remove from heat and chop into smaller/larger bite-size pieces, consistent with your bread and veggie size. Set aside.
3. While bread and bacon are cooking, heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Melt butter and add onion and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until slightly softened, 2–3 minutes. Pour in bee, increase heat until it reaches a simmer and cook until beer is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add chicken stock. Set aside.
5. Once bread and bacon are done and cooled, place them in a large bowl. Add veggie/beer mixture from pan and wipe out skillet if using a cast iron (you’ll reuse it in the next step). Pour in egg/stock mixture. Sprinkle on cheese, herbs and add another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix everything together until bread is fully coated and everything is combined.
6. Note: The bacon and cheese contain salt, so you will not need to add very much additional salt. However, if you used unsalted stock and butter you will need to add more salt than if you used salted versions. Once everything is mixed, take a small taste and add more if needed.
7. Pour mixture back into the cast iron skillet, or into a greased baking dish.
8. There are a couple different ways to cook this based on your preferences:
9. If using a pellet grill and you want a nice wood-fired flavor, place it in on the grill at 275º and smoke for 60 minutes or until top is golden brown and crisped up.
10. If using an oven, keep oven temp at 375º. Cover stuffing with foil for first 30 min, then remove and continue to cook for an additional 15–20 minutes until top is golden brown and crisped up.
11. Remove and serve. Enjoy!

This recipe works because, as we talked about in the podcast with Chef Jereme, Sara is layering flavor like a pro. This is what separates okay cooking from solid, “ohemgee that was the best thing I’ve ever eaten” cooking. Stay tuned for the rest of the week. I’ve got another side assist coming from Matt Chapman aka @chapymattbbq as well as my comprehensive guide to mashed potatoes.