Sourdough Dressing with Pancetta and Apples

Hello and welcome to Djalali Cooks. We are just about three weeks from Turkey Day…do you have your menu planned yet? Over the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I will have some fun recipes for you to consider. Thanksgiving is going to look different for Alex and me this year since it will be just the two of us. I am thinking of going rogue and making a pot of soup. We’ll see about that, but in the meanwhile, we are enjoying Thanksgiving food a little early, as I whip up these recipes for you. Today’s Sunday Supper is a Thanksgiving side: Sourdough Dressing with Pancetta and Apples.

I usually make Cornbread Dressing for the big day. But this year I wanted to try something different. One large sourdough baguette will be enough for this crunchy, toasty dressing. We also have apples and pancetta. Of course the celery is what makes a dressing taste like Thanksgiving, so we have celery, onions, chicken bone broth, with fresh sage and thyme to round out the traditional flavors.

The beaten eggs are there to help the insides get creamy, like bread pudding; while the crusty sourdough keeps a nice toasty crunch on top.

Sourdough Baguette

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the sourdough baguette into roughly 1/2-inch cubes. Don’t worry about getting them all the same size. The size irregularities will create a difference in texture, which is nice! We are looking for 8 cups of cubed bread. One large baguette should yield 8 cups. Spread the cubed bread on a large sheet tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bread is dried and toasty.

Dressing Mixture

Over medium-low heat, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven and add 8 ounces of diced pancetta. Cook while stirring occasionally until the pancetta is browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Pour out all but about 2 tablespoons of the pancetta fat from the Dutch oven.

Add the six tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven with the 2 tablespoons pancetta fat. Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the diced onions and celery (1 cup of each). Season with 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions begin to soften and go translucent.

When the onions are softened, add the diced apples, stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the Chicken bone broth. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer; let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the Dutch oven from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Taste the apple mixture and add more Kosher salt if needed. Keep in mind the pancetta will add some saltiness, too. Meanwhile, add the beaten eggs and the minced fresh herbs to the pancetta in the large bowl. Mix to combine.

Sourdough Dressing

Add the toasted bread cubes to the large bowl with the pancetta and eggs. Fold the pancetta and egg mixture over and into the bread to mostly coat the bread in the egg mixture.

Then pour the warm broth mixture over the bread mixture and mix to combine. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Pour the dressing mixture into the prepped 9×13-inch baking dish and bake on the center rack in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Until the liquid is bubbling and the top is toasty and golden brown.

Toasted Pecan Topping

This Sourdough Dressing with Pancetta and Apples is going to get an additional flavor and texture boost from a toasted pecan topping. While the dressing is cooling, toast 1/2 cup chopped pecans in a dry skillet for about 2 minutes, just until they become fragrant. Mix those nuts with 1/4 cup chopped parsley and the zest from one large orange.

Sprinkle the topping over the Sourdough Dressing.

And we are ready to serve!

This Sourdough Dressing is really good all on its own, which I think is the mark of a good dressing! But with turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce – this is such a beautiful departure from my usual cornbread dressing. The inside is soft and creamy, but still has a wonderful bready texture. The salty pops of pancetta coupled with the sweet bites of apple are a wonderful contrast and of course there’s the celery and sage flavors. I love the crunchy pecan topping – especially the orange zest, it really brightens up the dressing.

I hope you consider this Sourdough Dressing with Pancetta and Apples this year! It’s super easy, relatively quick and I am sure it will be a hit at your Thanksgiving table. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and stay tuned as we explore more Thanksgiving recipes in the coming weeks. Check out my Pinterest page for last year’s Thanksgiving recipes too! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Print Recipe

Sourdough Dressing with Pancetta and Apples

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Side Dish, Holiday – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 4-8

Prep Time: 25 Minutes – Cooking Time: 25-30 Minutes – Total Time: 50 Minutes to 1 Hour

Sourdough dressing is a savory bread pudding on the inside, with apples, pancetta, onions and celery; with a toasty, crunchy crouton-like top.

Ingredients

• 1 large Sourdough Baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 8 oz. Pancetta, diced
• 6 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 1 cup Diced Onion (about 1/2 of one large onion)
• 1 cup Diced Celery (about 6 medium celery ribs)
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt (plus more to taste)
• 1 tsp. Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 Gala apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups Chicken Bone Broth
• 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. Chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves
• 2 tbsp. Chopped Fresh Sage Leaves
• Topping
• 1/2 cup Toasted Chopped Pecans (or walnuts)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• Zest from one Large Orange

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2

Spread the cubed bread on a large sheet tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bread is dried and toasty.

3

Over medium-low heat, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven and add 8 ounces of diced pancetta. Cook while stirring occasionally until the pancetta is browned, about 10 minutes.

4

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Pour out all but about 2 tablespoons of the pancetta fat from the Dutch oven.

5

Add the six tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven. Melt the butter over medium-low heat.

6

Add the diced onions and celery. Season with 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions begin to soften and go translucent.

7

When the onions are softened, add the diced apples, stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.

8

Then add the Chicken bone broth. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer; let simmer for about 5 minutes.

9

Remove the Dutch oven from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

10

Meanwhile, add the beaten eggs and the minced fresh herbs to the pancetta in the large bowl. Mix to combine.

11

Add the toasted bread cubes to the large bowl with the pancetta and eggs.

12

Fold the pancetta and egg mixture over and into the bread to mostly coat the bread in the egg mixture.

13

Then pour the broth mixture in the Dutch oven over the bread mixture and mix to combine.

14

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

15

Pour the dressing mixture into the prepped 9x13-inch baking dish and bake on the center rack in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Until the liquid is bubbling and the top is toasty and golden brown.

16

While the dressing is cooling, toast 1/2 cup chopped pecans in a dry skillet for about 2 minutes, just until they become fragrant. Mix those nuts with 1/4 cup chopped parsley and the zest from one orange.

17

Sprinkle the topping over the Sourdough Dressing.