Everyday Food (November 2011)
Because we've overdone it a bit with takes on stuffings that incorporate sausage and dried fruit, we knew we had to try at least one very different take on stuffing for our recipe auditions this year.
We wanted something that brings unique flavors to the Thanksgiving table, something unlike anything we had served before.
And we found it with this Tomato-Olive Stuffing from Everyday Food.
Unless you come from a big Italian family and have a nonna who's cooking up a big feast, we'd wager that olive is not a flavor you typically encounter at Thanksgiving. Neither of us could think of a single instance when we've had an olive-tinged dish at the holiday. (The same goes for dishes that prominently feature tomatoes.)
And this dish goes whole hog on the olives, mixing a cup of them into eight servings of stuffing. Combined with the tomatoes, which sweeten as they bake, this dish has big, bold flavors. It's like an Italian flag planted right in the middle of the Thanksgiving plate.
Our only question about this take on stuffing is whether it's too bold for the Thanksgiving table. In a sea of sweet, starchy, caramelized foods, it's definitely a flash of atypical flavor. But its classic Italian tastes are definitely a hit.
If you're looking for something different and delicious at the Thanksgiving table, this is it.
Tomato-Olive Stuffing
Everyday Food (November 2011)
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Serves 8
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
- 1 loaf crusty white bread, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (8 cups)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
- 2 large celery stalks, diced medium
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 cup roughly chopped pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. On two rimmed baking sheets, arrange bread in a single layer. Toast until dry and pale golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large skillet, melt butter and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and celery are softened, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, rosemary and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Add parsley, eggs, and bread; stir to combine. Add broth in two additions, stirring until absorbed after each addition. Season generously with salt and pepper and transfer stuffing to dish. Bake on middle rack until deep golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
