It has bacon in it, but there's also a vegetarian version ~ and, if you like a touch of sweetness, you can also add in some dried cranberries and a little maple syrup (the dried cranberries are pretty when you cut the slices too).
THANKSGIVING STUFFING in BUNDT PAN ~ Bacon or Vegetarian
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1” cubes ~ day-old is fine (or bag of stuffing bread cubes)……………………………………………….......1 cup white or yellow onion, diced
4 slices bacon (I like thick, Applewood smoked), cut into small pieces (omit for vegetarian)
3 stalks of celery, diced……………………….....…1-2 tsp. dried sage leaves, crumbled
About 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped……....…..4 eggs, beaten lightly with fork
About 1 tsp. Kosher salt………………………........1/2 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian version) ~ I needed 2 cups
Cooking spray
OPTIONAL ADD-INS:
1/2 cup dried cranberries……………………...…..2 tsp. maple syrup
1 jar chicken, turkey or mushroom gravy (to serve with it) ~ YOU REALLY WANT TO HAVE THIS
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Preheat oven to 375. Generously spray a large bundt pan with non-stick spray. Then, let it set a minute and spray it again! and set aside. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Put the bread cubes on baking sheets and bake 15-20 minutes, or until lightly toasted, stirring halfway through cooking. (I just changed the position of the pans on the oven racks, since the top pan toasted faster)
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I always make my bacon in the microwave, so there's less mess to clean up! Line a pyrex square pan with paper towels and lay out the strips of bacon; press another paper towel down firmly on top. Microwave on HIGH for 4-5 minutes (depends how thick the bacon is). Let it cool for a couple of minutes, then crumble the bacon into a LARGE bowl.
There should be bacon grease on the bottom of the pan and in the paper towel. I wrung out the paper towel with my hands to get as much of the grease as possible into the pyrex pan. (It sure makes your hands nice and soft too!) Add the onion and celery to the bacon grease in the pyrex pan, and stir so it's coated as well as possible. Cover the pyrex pan lightly with wax paper and microwave about 4 minutes.
Or, if you want to clean up a skillet (and bacon splatters on your counter), you can do the bacon and veggies the traditional way: in a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy; remove from pan and put into a large bowl. Add the onion and celery to the bacon grease in the skillet and saute for about 4-6 minutes (al dente, not too soft ~ they'll cook more later).
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Add the chicken broth, eggs, parsley, sage, salt, and pepper to the bacon in the large bowl (also the maple syrup, if desired). Then add the toasted bread cubes and vegetables (and dried cranberries, if desired); gently toss until thoroughly combined (this may take a few minutes, but you'll be able to see when the bread is completely covered. A rubber scraper works well) * (If it seems too dry, you can add more broth). Spoon the mixture into bundt pan and press it down firmly.
At this point, you can wrap the bundt pan and refrigerate (even overnight) ~ but let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. ** Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool about 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Garnish with parsley for color. Cut into slices to serve. If you want, you can heat up a jar of gravy to serve with it. Serves about 10-15 people.