Jalapeno-Bacon Stuffing

This is a side dish that goes great with turkey and is 100 times better than a “stovetop stuffing.” If you take it to a potluck dinner you will be forever doomed to repeat the same dish forever…they demand it year after year. The jalapenos are the key; I chop them very fine. I have used up to 6 tablespoons, but 4 seems about perfect.

Step: 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Step: 2

Combine cornbread mix, 1 cup milk, and eggs in a bowl. Mix until well blended; batter will be lumpy. Pour into the prepared pan.

Step: 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and let cool enough to handle, 15 to 30 minutes. Crumble and set aside in a bowl.

Step: 4

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step: 5

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels, reserve 2 tablespoons grease in the pan. Let bacon cool slightly, about 5 minutes; crumble and set aside.

Step: 6

Heat reserved bacon grease over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, and celery in the hot grease until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.

Step: 7

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add corn, cream-style corn, remaining milk, chopped jalapenos, pimentos, sugar, and salt. Cook until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bacon and sauteed vegetables. Stir in 2 cups crumbled cornbread. Transfer mixture to a baking dish.

Step: 8

Melt remaining butter and stir into remaining 1/2 cup crumbled cornbread; sprinkle over stuffing mixture.

Step: 9

Bake in the preheated oven until crumbs are light brown, about 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced jalapenos.

Per Serving: 333 calories; protein 7.6g; carbohydrates 45.5g; fat 14.2g; cholesterol 55.8mg; sodium 943.8mg.

One of most obvious way to choose a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and pick more different. When you’re making pasta, go for a simple healthy dish . Making steak? Go for more light. If you’re making stir-fry with rice, it must not a best idea to adjust with make a rice salad.

This also can apply to cooking process . You don’t want to push more often your oven by scheduling three dishes at once in there, or be rounding four pans on the stovetop . But sometimes you can make a dish do double-duty .