Hot and Spicy Cheesebread Stuffing with Jones Bacon!! Made with hot and spicy cheesy bread, Jones Dairy Farm Dry Aged Bacon, cremini mushrooms, cheddar cheese and more! This stuffing is absolutely delicious!!
After that first bite of deep fried cheese curds, all the food and the craft cocktails at Heritage Tavern, the seasonal menu at Harvest, my first visit to Fromagination and the Dane County farmers market, I fell in love with Madison, Wisconsin.
I would have never guessed it but Wisconsin’s local producer scene has it going on. With so many local cheese makers, artisans, bakers, Wisconsin has tremendous talent and can satisfy even the most finicky eater.
When you go to the Dane County Farmers market, getting a big loaf of Stella’s Hot & Spicy Cheesy bread is a must. Like, you can’t go to the farmers market and not get one. This bread is so delicious. Cheesy, spicy and everything good! And when I found out I could buy Stella’s Hot & Spicy Cheesy bread at my local grocery store, I was in heaven.
With the holidays coming up, I’m always looking for ways to put a new twist on my stuffing recipe. At my house, the stuffing is as important as the turkey, it can’t be dry and must have loads of flavor.
Hot and Spicy Cheesebread Stuffing
Inspired by all of my favorite things in Wisconsin, I came up with this savory stuffing for Thanksgiving. Loaded with Stella’s Hot & Spicy Cheesy bread, mushrooms, Wisconsin cheddar cheese and my favorite Jones Dairy Farms Cherrywood smoked sliced bacon, this stuffing is filled with Wisconsin’s best.
Where other companies use artificial liquid smoke to impart flavor into their products, Jones Dairy Farms dry ages their bacon unlike anyone else. The process takes extra time, but the end result is an undeniable subtly smoky, sweet flavor that’s totally authentic and delicious.
To find Jones Dairy Farms bacon in your area, you can click here for a store locator. Jones Dairy Farms products are available at fine retailers nationwide.
Hot and Spicy Cheesebread Stuffing with Jones Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 cups Stella’s Hot & Spicy Cheesy Bread or day old bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 lb. 16 oz. Jones Dairy Farm Cherrywood Smoked Sliced bacon or Italian sausage
- 1 medium to large onion diced
- 1 cup (4 ribs) celery diced
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken stock + more if needed
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley diced
- 2 heaping teaspoons fresh tarragon finely diced
- 2 to 2 ½ cups Wisconsin cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 1 to 2 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Arrange bread cubes on rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly golden and crispy, for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Using large non-stick pan or skillet, cook bacon slices (or sausage) in batches until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes, placing cooked bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Crumble or chop bacon into bits.
- Discard only some bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in pan. Turn heat up to medium high and sauté onions, celery and mushrooms until softened, stirring occasionally, about 7 to 8 minutes. Feel free to add the olive oil if you need it. Add garlic, mix together and let cook for about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Using large mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes, bacon bits or crumbled sausage, eggs, 1/4 cup chicken stock (plus more if needed*), parsley, tarragon, freshly grated cheese and red pepper flakes. Mix to combine; add the cooked onion and mushroom mixture and mix together again. Transfer mixture to greased 9x12-inch baking dish and bake uncovered for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned on top and cooked through. Enjoy!
Notes
If you can’t get your hands on some Stella’s Hot n spicy cheesy bread, I would suggest day old thick white bread and adding some crushed red pepper.
Disclosure: This is a paid, sponsored post in partnership with Jones Dairy Farms. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting me in working with the brands and products that I use and love.
