This Christmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe is a savory and nutty recipe, which features wild rice and applewood-smoked bacon. It’s the perfect holiday side dish, ready in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Jump to RecipeChristmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe Ingredients
- 8 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
Rice:
- 4 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/4 cups short-grain brown rice
- 1 1/4 cups wild rice
Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- One 14-ounce bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces (3 large) portobello mushrooms, shredded or thinly sliced
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped, optional
How To Make Christmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe
- Crisp the bacon: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain the bacon on paper towels.
- Simmer the rice: For the rice: In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the broth and thyme to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the brown and wild rice. Cover the saucepan and simmer until the rice is tender but still chewy, 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Sauté the onions: For the vegetables: In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until light golden, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the mushrooms and sprouts: Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the skillet. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Combine and serve: Transfer the vegetable mixture to the saucepan of cooked rice. Add the hazelnuts and cooked bacon. Toss until all the ingredients are mixed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Why use wild rice? Wild rice adds a fantastic chewy texture and earthy flavor that holds up well against the savory bacon and mushrooms. It prevents the stuffing from becoming mushy.
- Time-saving tip: You can cook the rice mixture a day in advance. Store it in the fridge, then simply sauté the vegetables and bacon on the day of serving and toss everything together until heated through.
- Thawing pearl onions: If you forget to thaw the pearl onions, you can quickly run them under warm water in a colander for a few minutes. Pat them dry before adding to the hot skillet to ensure they brown rather than steam.
- Shredding mushrooms: To get the best texture, use the shredding blade on a food processor for the portobello mushrooms. This creates meaty strands that blend perfectly with the rice grains.
What To Serve With Christmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe
This rustic, bread-free stuffing is an ideal companion for traditional holiday roasts.
- Roast Turkey with gravy
- Prime Rib Roast
- Glazed Holiday Ham
- Cranberry Sauce
How To Store Christmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth to add moisture back, or microwave in 1-minute intervals.
- Freeze: This rice-based stuffing freezes better than bread stuffing. Place in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Christmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 380
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
- Sodium: 650mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 45g
- Dietary Fiber: 6g
- Sugar: 4g
- Protein: 12g
Nutrition information is estimated per serving.
FAQs
Yes. Unlike traditional bread stuffing, this recipe uses brown and wild rice, which are naturally gluten-free grains. Always check your chicken broth label to be sure.
It is not recommended. White rice cooks much faster and is softer than brown or wild rice. If you substitute it, the rice will turn to mush by the time the liquid is absorbed, and the texture won’t hold up to the heavy vegetables.
Yes, you can loosely stuff the bird with this mixture. However, for food safety reasons and better texture, it is often better to bake it separately (often called “dressing”) to ensure the turkey cooks evenly.
Christmas Stuffing with Bacon Recipe
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes55
minutes380
kcalA rustic, gluten-free holiday side dish featuring a blend of wild and brown rice, smoky applewood bacon, mushrooms, and toasted hazelnuts.
Ingredients
8 oz applewood-smoked bacon
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups brown rice
1 1/4 cups wild rice
3 tbsp fresh thyme
14 oz pearl onions
12 oz portobello mushrooms
8 oz Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup hazelnuts (optional)
Directions
- Fry chopped bacon in a skillet until crisp; drain and set aside.
- Boil broth and thyme; add rices, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Let rice stand off heat for 10 minutes, then fluff.
- Sauté pearl onions in butter/oil in the bacon skillet for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and seasoning; cook for 8 minutes.
- Add Brussels sprouts and seasoning; cook for 5 minutes.
- Toss cooked rice with the veggie mixture, bacon, and hazelnuts.
Notes
- Texture: The combination of short-grain brown rice and wild rice creates a “chewy” and hearty texture distinct from fluffy white rice.
- Vegetarian Option: To make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth, though the smoky flavor profile will change.
