Cornbread dressing with Smoked Bacon and Pecans

By rschierholz

From Southern Living

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 4 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces $
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 green onions, chopped
• Classic Cornbread, crumbled (about 6 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted $
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 375°.

2. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes. (Do not crisp.) Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Sauté diced onion and next 2 ingredients in hot drippings 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in green onions; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat.

3. Add bacon, cornbread, and next 3 ingredients. Stir together melted butter and broth, and stir into cornbread mixture. Add salt and pepper. Fold in pecans. Spoon dressing into a buttered, shallow 2-qt. baking dish; cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake, covered, at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and uncover. Transfer oven rack to highest position. Bake dressing, uncovered, 12 minutes or until top is crusty.