Giada De Laurentiis - Christmas Stuffing with Bacon

Christmas Stuffing with Bacon

ingredients

8 to 10 servings


8 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, chopped into ½-inch piecesapplewood smoked bacon8
Rice 4 ½ cups low-salt chicken brothlow-sodium chicken broth4 ½ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thymefresh thyme3 1 ¼ cups short-grain brown riceshort grain brown rice1 ¼ 1 ¼ cups wild ricewild rice1 ¼
Vegetables 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperatureunsalted butter2 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilextra-virgin olive oil2 One 14-ounce bag frozen pearl onions, thawedpearl onions14 1 teaspoon kosher saltkosher salt1 ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepperfreshly ground black pepper¾ 12 ounces (3 large) portobello mushrooms, shredded or thinly slicedportobello mushrooms, large12 8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly slicedBrussels sprouts8 ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped, optionalhazelnuts½

instructions


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.
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.
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. Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 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. 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.

cook's notes

The rice can also be cooked in 4 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of water.

To toast the hazelnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.