It’s Thanksgiving week…I’m already hungry for everything coming my way in terms of food. Just the thought of the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, potatoes, pie, potatoes…there’s a theme here. What are you looking forward to the most?
Every year I try to dream up a new stuffing combination. In fact, I love having a different “something” every year. Old recipes are things we all look forward too, but I always enjoy serving traditional items with a twist.
Have you ever had challah bread? It is absolutely one of my favorite breads to get from the bakery. I love it’s chewy and airy texture and slightly sweet taste. This bread is not only delicious, but comes with its own history. It is hands down a favorite of mine.
Did I mention challah is also beautiful. I almost feel badly for cutting it up into small pieces, but trust me it’s for a good cause.
After cutting up your challah bread, place it on two rimmed baking trays. I leave mine out for a full 24 hours to dry or you can speed up the process by toasting it in the oven for 15-20 minutes on 350 degrees F.
As a Polish girl, kielbasa is a taste I grew up and I thought it would be interesting to change of the flavor of my stuffing with kielbasa instead of using ground sausage. The salty-smoked flavor together with the slightly sweet challah bread is a perfect combination. Kids will also love the milder flavors of this stuffing…it’s just so good.
I ladle in my broth mixture a little at a time, stirring to incorporate instead of dumping it all in the bread mixture all at once. This will also save your eggs from being scrambled by the heat.
Here it is ready for the oven.
My husband thought this dish was absolutely fabulous. I have a feeling you will love it as well. I hope you give it a try.
Are you serving up a new recipe this Thanksgiving? Tell me about it.
Challah Bread and Kielbasa Stuffing
Ingredients
- 16 cups (almost 2 (1 lb) loaves) stale challah bread cubes
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups diced celery
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 (14 oz) packages Polska Kielbasa, slice lengthwise, then crosswise into cubes
Directions
- To stale your challah loaves, cut them into cubes and let them air dry for 24 hours on 2 baking sheets. Or, to speed up the process bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until toasted. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a very large bowl, slightly beat two eggs and parsley together. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery and season with pepper; cook stirring until both are softened, 5-7 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in another nonstick skillet, cook kielbasa until the edges are slightly browned.
- Add bread cubes to the large bowl and toss with egg mixture. Add kielbasa to the bread and ladle in broth mixture a little a time while stirring to incorporate. Mix gently as to not break down your bread crumbs. Transfer mixture to a 13 x 9 baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake until golden, about 30-40 minutes more.
A few other stuffing recipes.
- One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Sweet and Smokey Cocktail Meatballs
- Two Years Ago: Happy Thanksgiving
- Four Years Ago: Plum and Nectarine Crisps
- Five Years Ago: Chicken Poblano Casserole
- Six Years Ago: Mixed Green Salad with Pear, Goat Cheese and Fig Vinaigrette