I made this for the VeganMofo Iron Chef challenge last week but I’m only getting around to posting it now. Not because I didn’t have time, I always think that excuse is bullshit no matter who says it, but because I am so overwhelmed with stuff that I’m forced to sit on the couch and watch 30 Rock marathons like a deer caught in headlights. But I really loved this stuffing so I am going to go ahead and tell you about it – better late than never!

I almost caved and made something sweet out of the challenge ingredients – which were pears and nuts. How badly I wanted an almond pear tart or pear and pecan muffins. But I stuck to the mysterious and unnecessary promise I made to myself of only savory dishes for the Iron Chef challenges and then there I was – stuffing!

I have to admit the stuffing I grew up on was the boxed variety that comes to life in a pot of boiling water much like one of those sponge animals that’s born in a capsule and grows before your very eyes. And I actually like that boxed stuff, that is the sad part – I have no quarrel with the taste. But it’s one of those things, like fast food french fries, that I know is a government plot to short circuit our tastebuds and beat them into culinary submission. Making my own stuffing is definitely a part of breaking free THX1138 style or whatever dystopia you choose.

Using fruit in stuffing is a time honored tradition and doesn’t make the stuffing as sweet as you might think. It adds a bit of a cidery taste and heightens the flavors of thyme and sage. Toasting the pecans intensifies the flavor and makes them pretty addictive – make a few extra just to pop into your mouth.

I stuffed my stuffing into a baked acorn squash half and that was pretty awesome, but you can just use it as a side or in any other way people use stuffing. And here’s a tip: make the cornbread into muffins so that they bake faster and cool faster so you can get dinner on the table faster.

A Week Late: Cornbread Stuffing With Pears And Pecans

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Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 recipe PPK cornbread or Veganomicon cornbread or your favorite recipe from a 9×13 pan
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 pcs cippolini onions diced medium (use whatever onion you like – about 2 cups once chopped)
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme (keep the soft stems on, just ditch the woody ones)
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 pcs red bartlett pears sliced in 1/4 inch slices (use whatever pear you’ve got)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut cornbread into roughly 3/4 inch pieces. Place on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, flipping about halfway through. Remove from oven.
  • In the meantime, toast the pecans. Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium low heat. Add the pecans and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until they smell toasty and are a few shades darker. Transfer to a bowl and roughly chop once cooled – I like to keep the pieces relatively large.
  • In the same pan over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • Add the herbs to the pan and saute for about a minutes. Add the cornbread and spinkle in salt and pepper. Mix with a spatula, it’s fine if you break the cornbread up with a spatula a bit. Drizzle in the oil and vegetable broth. If it seems to dry add a little extra veggie broth.
  • Fold in the apples and pecans. Transfer to a lightly greased 9×13 pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
  • And don’t forget to check out what everyone else came up with last week. This weeks challenge is hosted by kittee and she chose sushi, which I’m afraid I am going to miss.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!