Cornbread and Bacon Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 110g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 6 thick slices bacon (about 220 g), cut into pieces
• 4 onions, thinly sliced
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3.5 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 8 cups stale cornbread, cut into 1-cm cubes (about 12 oz.)
• 8 cups stale potato bread, cut into 1cm cubes (about 340g)
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C; grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish with butter.
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the celery, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, parsley, and green onions. Add the cornbread cubes, potato bread cubes, pecans, and vegetable mixture and stir to combine.
5. Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small cubes and spread evenly over the filling.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until golden brown, another 20 minutes.