Roasted Chestnut and Corn Bread Dressing

Is it dressing or stuffing. While the ingredients can be the same, the difference is in how it is cooked. If it is stuffed and cooked inside of the bird, well then it is stuffing. If it assembled and baked outside of the bird in a casserole dish, then it is dressing. However, the two words are used interchangeably based on locale and region. In this case I am making dressing. It utilizes roasted chestnuts and cornbread. It is super tasty and I hope you try it this year.

Roasted Chestnut and Corn Bread Dressing – (adapted from Williams-Sonoma)

• 8 cups cubed day-old corn bread
• 2 cups cubed day-old white bread
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup chestnuts
• 1 stalk rosemary, chopped
• 4-6 sage leaves, chopped
• handful of thyme, chopped
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth/stock
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roasting the Chestnuts

The first step is to roast the chestnuts.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next wipe down the chestnuts and then place them flat side down on a cutting board.  Then using a paring knife score a small x onto each chestnut.  This will help the steam release and give you a peeling point once the chestnuts cool.

Place the chestnuts in a rimmed cookie sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.  When fully cooked, the shells will be burst open and the chestnut will be golden.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once cool you can peel the shell and the inner skin of the chestnut away.  Then dice the chestnuts into bite size pieces and set aside.  I cut mine into quarters and they were a little big for everyone in the dressing.  I would recommend cutting the chestnuts into 8 pieces.

Making the Dressing

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread the cubed cornbread and white bread out on a baking sheet.  Then bake for 20 minutes until the bread is dry and golden brown.  Then set aside for later use.

Place a saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Then add the chopped celery and onion to the pan.  Saute for 5-8 minutes or until the onions and celery are soft and translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the onions, celery, toasted bread, chestnuts, herbs and stock into a bowl and combine.  Then season with salt and pepper and transfer to a greased casserole pan.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the cover and then bake for another 35-40 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Serve hot with your favorite meal.