three ways with christmas stuffing

I’ve created 3 stuffing recipes for you. One classic Pork, Sage and Onion, one slightly more adventurous with chestnuts, apricots, polenta and chilli and a vegetarian aubergine and nut stuffing that i’ve adapted from a Mary Berry veggie meatloaf recipe that is quite simply heavenly – I’ve served all mine here as separate dishes but they will all work just as well stuffing into a turkey. All will freeze well unto a month prior to cooking or could also be made a couple of days in advance of the big day and kept in the fridge.

Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing Roll
1 onion – grated
1 small cox apple – grated
3 teaspoons dried sage
500g Lincolnshire sausage meat
4 tablespoons French Bread breadcrumbs
10 slices of bacon rashers
oil and butter
seasoning

place a large pan on a gentle heat and melt a little oil and butter, add the onions and sauté for about 5 mins until soft, then add the apple and 2 teaspoons of dried sage, stir it all together and let it sweat for another 5 mins – set aside to cool

in a large bowl combine the sausage meat, breadcrumbs and the cooled cooked onions until well mixed

lay out a large sheet of foil and butter the surface then lay strips of bacon across it roughly 15cm long, then create a fat sausage shape with the stuffing mixture and lay this on top of the bacon. Using the foil, bring the bacon up and around the sausage shape then tightly roll the whole thing in the foil

bake in the oven when you roast your potatoes for 45 mins, unwrapping the foil for the last 10 minutes – carve thickly to serve.

Chestnut, Apricot, Chilli & Polenta Stuffing
1 onion – finely chopped
½ teaspoon chilli
½ teaspoon fresh lemon thyme
100g dried apricots – chopped
500g Lincolnshire sausage meat
150g polenta
100g chestnuts – chopped
1 egg – beaten
oil and butter
seasoning

grease and line a roasting tin or cake tin at least 20cm long by 15cm wide

place a large pan on a gentle heat and melt a little oil and butter, add the onions and sauté for about 5 mins until soft, turn the heat up and add the chilli and thyme and sauté for a further 5 minutes then set aside to cool.

in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients including the cooled onions and plenty of salt and pepper then spoon it into your prepared baking tin. Place a few whole apricots and chestnuts on top for decoration and roast in the oven for 30 – 45 mins

Aubergine and Nut Vegetarian Stuffing
1 onion – finely chopped
1 large aubergine – diced
150g mixed nuts – finely chopped
100g Lincolnshire Poacher cheese – finely grated
4 tablespoons French Bread breadcrumbs
2 eggs – beaten
150g whole chestnuts – halved
fresh thyme and rosemary
salt and pepper

grease and line a 2lb loaf tin and place the halved chestnuts across the bottom

place a large pan on a gentle heat and melt a little oil and butter, add the onions and sauté for about 5 mins until soft, turn the heat up and add the aubergine, season well and sauté for a further 10 minutes, stirring often, then set aside to cool.

in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients well and then spoon it into your prepared loaf tin. Roast in the oven for 30 – 45 mins then set aside to cool slightly before carefully lifting out of the loaf tin and turning over to serve

eat and of course, enjoy!