Ground pork and sautéed aromatics including onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and more are packed into this sourdough stuffing. This dish is elevated and unique from other stuffing recipes by the crunchy but tender sourdough bits. It’s really flavorful, with lots of fresh herbs and aromatic spices; the middle is wet but not drenched! This recipe will make the ideal side dish for the holidays and beyond, and you’ll adore it!
I must admit to you that, up until last year, I was never a big lover of stuffing. Indeed, it is true. I was one of those folks who had absolutely no interest in filling. To be honest, though, I don’t think I’ve ever had a decent buddy. Their flavor was consistently either bland or extremely dry. Oh, some of them are on my mind as I write. This one has completely converted me, so I’m quite happy I made the decision to put my own spin on stuffing, ha.
Sourdough Stuffing with Ground Sage Pork
A big woot. This stuffing recipe combines delicious ground pork with substantial pieces of bread and a ton of aromatics, herbs, and spicy spices. There isn’t any dryness present since this recipe for sourdough stuffing has a crunchy top and a moist, yet not mushy, core. I want you to try this stuffing if you’ve never tried or appreciated stuffing before.
What Makes This Sourdough Stuffing Recipe Work
- CRAVE-ABLE FLAVOR: As I have stated, flavorless stuffing is plain depressing. The flavor of this sourdough stuffing is huge and robust, thanks to the delicious sourdough, ground pork, rich aromatics, and intensely aromatic spices.
- UNCOMPLETE BUT BRILLANT: I enjoy the conventional components of a stuffing that are traditional—vegetables and heartiness. This stuffing is enhanced by aromatic spices like marjoram and crushed sage and fresh herbs.
- Cozy Thanksgiving favorite: Stuffing is almost a Thanksgiving staple, as we all know. This recipe is ideal to pair with any dish you may be having, such as glazed ham or turkey. It’s really tasty and cozy to make for any occasion, not just the holidays!
What You’ll Need For This Recipe:
- Sourdough: I believe that adding sourdough to this dish really improves it. The flavor of sourdough is distinctly acidic and delicious. I usually pick up a loaf of sourdough from my neighborhood baker, but it can be found elsewhere. If you make your own, you get bonus points—oh, you fancy, huh?
- Oil: To drizzle and sauté the ground pork and vegetables.
- Ground pork: Increases taste and heartiness with meat.
- Spices: I use poultry seasoning, ground marjoram, ground sage, and salt & pepper.
- Vegetables: chopped celery, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms to offer a ton of complexity and extra satisfying richness.
- Garlic: Slurp, slurp, garlic forever and ever.
- Dried thyme is okay here, but I really like fresh thyme!
- Chicken stock: The liquid enhances taste and moisture content.
- Butter: To add depth and a consistent buttery taste.
- Eggs: Provide a fluffy texture and serve as a binding agent.
- Chefs kiss a little maple sweetness with maple syrup.
How To Make This Sourdough Stuffing:
- Get the sourdough ready. Sourdough pieces should be spread out on a baking sheet and let to dry on the counter for at least eight hours and up to a day before stuffing.
- Set oven temperature to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and keep it aside using nonstick spray.
- Toasted the pork. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a big, deep pan and heat it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is heated, add the ground pork and cook for three to five minutes, or until the meat is thoroughly browned. Next, add salt and pepper to taste, ground sage, and ground marjoram to the pork, and whisk everything together thoroughly. After that, transfer the ground pork to a sizable mixing bowl and reserve.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the final tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and place it over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the diced bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, and celery. Sauté the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste and season the vegetables. After adding the garlic and fresh thyme, simmer for a further minute or two, or until aromatic. Take the sautéed vegetables off of the heat and pour them into the mixing bowl along with the pork that has browned.
- Put the stuffing together. Combine the melted butter, eggs, maple syrup, poultry spice, chicken stock or broth, and the dried-out sourdough bits in a mixing dish. Mix until well blended.
- Grease the stuffing pan. Spoon the batter into the baking dish that has been ready. Tightly cover the dish with foil. For thirty minutes, bake the stuffing in the oven.
- Once the stuffing has been baked for thirty minutes, take it out of the oven and raise the temperature to 425°F. Take off the foil and pour some olive oil over the top. Once more, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While still heated, serve this sourdough filling. If preferred, garnish the stuffing with fresh herbs to give it a lovely visual burst when served. Have fun!
Tips + Tricks & Recipe Notes
- Dry the sourdough: The recipe card’s first instruction asks you to dry out the sourdough bits. This is crucial since dried-out bread will absorb far more of the liquid and spices!
- Don’t pack the stuffing: Don’t pack the sourdough stuffing into your baking dish once it has been assembled. Stuffing with a thick texture is produced by packing it in.
- Increase the temperature: Don’t forget to remove the foil and raise the temperature to 425°F after the initial foil bake. For the filling to have a wonderful, crispy-toasty top, the second component is essential!
- Accessorizing/arranging stuffing: Now, stuffing is one of those dishes that never seems to turn out “pretty.” I suggest adding chopped fresh herbs, such as additional thyme sprigs, sage, or rosemary, to your sourdough stuffing to make it look attractive for the holiday table.
More Recipes You might Like
- Traditional Baked Ziti
- Quick Cook BBQ Pulled Pork
- The Best Tuna Salad You’ll Ever Eat
- Southern Corn Pudding
Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Ground Sage Pork
Ground pork and sautéed aromatics including onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and more are packed into this sourdough stuffing. This dish is elevated and unique from other stuffing recipes by the crunchy but tender sourdough bits. It's really flavorful, with lots of fresh herbs and aromatic spices; the middle is wet but not drenched! This recipe will make the ideal side dish for the holidays and beyond, and you'll adore it!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread about 1 lb, cut/ripped into chunks & dried out (see step #1)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided- plus more for drizzling
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tablespoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon ground marjoram
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 stalks celery hearts finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme de-stemmed
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 ¼ cups chicken stock
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Get the sourdough ready. Sourdough pieces should be spread out on a baking sheet and let to dry on the counter for at least eight hours and up to a day before stuffing. *If time is of the essence, feel free to dry out the bread in a 250°F preheated oven for around 30-35 minutes. I like to take this step the night before serving to allow the sourdough pieces to dry out before creating the stuffing.
- Set oven temperature to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and keep it aside using nonstick spray.
- Toasted the pork. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a big, deep pan and heat it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, rotate it to coat the bottom equally. After adding the ground pork to the skillet and breaking it up with a wooden tool, heat it for three to five minutes, or until it is totally browned and beginning to crisp up. Next, add salt and pepper to taste, ground sage, and ground marjoram to the pork, and whisk everything together thoroughly. Allow the mixture to simmer for a another minute or so, or until the spices are quite aromatic. After that, transfer the ground pork to a sizable mixing bowl and reserve.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the final tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and place it over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, rotate it to coat the bottom equally. Chop the bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, and celery and add them to the skillet. The combination should be sautéed for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, aromatic, and have mild caramelization. Add salt and pepper to taste and season the vegetables. After adding the garlic and fresh thyme, simmer for a further minute or two, or until aromatic. Take the sautéed vegetables off of the heat and pour them into the mixing bowl along with the pork that has browned.
- Put the stuffing together. Combine the melted butter, eggs, maple syrup, poultry spice, chicken stock or broth, and the dried-out sourdough bits in a mixing dish. Toss or whisk all the ingredients well until well blended, using your hands (or a tool if preferred). Allow the mixture to settle for five to seven minutes so that the bread can soak up the stock.
- Grease the stuffing pan. Filling should not be packed into the baking dish; doing so will result in a thick structure. Instead, transfer the stuffing mixture to the dish that has been prepared. Tightly cover the dish with foil. For thirty minutes, bake the stuffing in the oven.
- Once the stuffing has been baked for thirty minutes, take it out of the oven and raise the temperature to 425°F. Take off the foil and pour some olive oil over the top. Bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is gently crisp/crusty and golden brown.
- Serve the ground sage pork filling on sourdough bread while it’s still hot. If desired, garnish the filling with fresh herbs for a little visual treat while serving at the table. Have fun!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.