Bacon and Leek Stuffing
Made with fresh herbs, applewood bacon, and leeks, this Bacon and Leek Stuffing has tons of flavor and is the perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving dinner. Make-ahead instructions included!
Making This Bacon & Leek Stuffing
Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without stuffing, don’t you agree? Stuffing seems to often be the big debate this time of year. Everyone has their own family recipe and thinks that their family’s recipe is THE BEST.
Growing up, we usually had cornbread stuffing with pork sausage. It was our family’s tradition.
My husband has never particularly liked stuffing, but I just can’t bring myself to not have it on the table. It’s traditional!
Even though I still enjoy my family’s traditional stuffing recipe, I’ve created a new recipe that’s also well loved.
I tweaked my classic recipe just a tad. Instead of Italian sausage, I am using bacon and I’ve swapped out onion for leek to create this Leek and Bacon Stuffing. Delicious!
Leek & Bacon Stuffing Ingredients
Making homemade stuffing for Thanksgiving is easier than you might think, and you don’t need any special ingredients. Here’s what I used for this leek stuffing recipe:
- Applewood bacon
- Celery
- Leeks
- Garlic
- White wine
- Pears
- Fresh thyme, fresh parsley, fresh sage
- Dried stuffing cubes
- Chicken broth
- Butter
- Dried cranberries
- Golden raisins
- Chopped pecans
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Stuffing with Leeks
This leek and bacon stuffing recipe couldn’t be simpler to make! Here’s an overview of the cooking process:
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet, then crumble and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
- Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan you cooked the crispy bacon in, sauté the celery. Then add the leeks and garlic.
- Deglaze the pan: add the white wine to the pan and scrape up the browned bits.
- Stir in ingredients: pear, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
- Add in the stuffing cubes: transfer the ingredients to a large bowl along with the stuffing cubes and mix until combined.
- Add the remaining ingredients: pour in the broth until your desired moistness and consistency is reached. Gently stir in the melted butter, cranberries, raisins, and pecans.
- Bake: Cook at 350 degrees F in a covered casserole dish until stuffing is heated through. Remove the cover halfway through baking.
The above is simply a quick summary of this leek stuffing recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Make Ahead Instructions
This leek stuffing can be assembled up to 2 days in advance. Store it covered in the refrigerator. I recommend baking it just before serving for best results.
More Prep Tips:
- The bacon can be cooked and crumbled up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.
- Chop the veggies a few days in advance and store in the fridge.
Tips for the Best Thanksgiving Stuffing
- You must sauté the veggies on the stovetop prior to adding them to the stuffing mixture. The stuffing isn’t in the oven long enough to cook the vegetables all the way through.
- Check out my tips for making homemade bacon bits to use in this recipe!
- Be sure to clean the leeks properly prior to sautéing them. Leeks often contain lots of sand, so you need to rinse it all out!
- Leftover stuffing is perfect for making Thanksgiving sandwiches the next day!
Recipe Variations
Feel free to use this recipe as a guide and adapt according to your preferences or dietary restrictions. Here are some ideas:
- Leek and Mushroom Stuffing: Add 4 ounces of sliced, sautéed mushrooms to the stuffing recipe.
- Leek and Sausage Stuffing: substitute ground sage sausage for the bacon.
- Vegetarian Leek Stuffing: use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and leave out the bacon. Use olive oil or butter in place of the bacon fat for sautéing the vegetables.
- Apple and Leek Stuffing: substitute apples in place of the chopped pears.
- Gluten-Free Leek Stuffing: substitute quinoa, like in this Quinoa Stuffing recipe, or use gluten-free stuffing cubes.
Recipe FAQs
Got questions about how to make this leek stuffing recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
Can This Bacon & Leek Stuffing Be Cooked Inside a Turkey?
Yes, but I don’t recommend stuffing a turkey with this Bacon and Leek Stuffing. The risk of bacteria makes me nervous and I don’t like the end result in the consistency.
Here’s why you shouldn’t stuff a roasted turkey:
- The Leek and Bacon Stuffing may not reach a high enough temperature to kill any bacteria.
- Your turkey will cook faster without a stuffed cavity.
How to Safely Stuff a Turkey with this Stuffing
If you really love stuffing inside your turkey, there is a way to safely stuff a turkey.
- First, prepare and cook the Leek Stuffing separately while the turkey roasts.
- Then, place the stuffing into the cavity of turkey once it is done roasting.
There you go! Turkey is stuffed with this delicious Leek and Bacon Stuffing, AND no one gets sick.
How to Store Leftover Leek Bacon Stuffing
Transfer leftover herb stuffing to an airtight container within 2 hours of eating. Store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Try this Leek Stuffing Recipe!
Next time you’re looking for a delicious stuffing recipe to try for your Thanksgiving feast, give this Stuffing with Leeks and Bacon a try!
Did you think it was a unique take on this traditional side dish? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this stuffing.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of your Thanksgiving stuffing!
★★★★★
Jenn says –
“By far my favorite recipe!”
More Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
I have lots of Thanksgiving recipes on my site already, but here are some of my family’s all-time favorite sides.
Butternut Squash and Kale Quinoa Stuffing is a fantastic vegetarian and gluten-free stuffing recipe loaded with tons of veggies and flavors.
Try this recipe for Garlic Bacon Sautéed Green Beans with Roasted Mushrooms instead of green bean casserole.
These Spinach Stuffing Balls make a great appetizer for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
In this Sliced Sweet Potato Casserole, sweet potato slices are baked in a spiced orange maple glaze and sprinkled with juicy, bright pomegranate arils.
I love how easy this Apple Cider Roasted Squash recipe is to prepare! It is a great, easy acorn squash side dish to prepare all winter long, but it’s especially great for Thanksgiving!
Classic mashed potatoes are elevated thanks to the addition of plenty of browned butter and fresh grated parmesan in this Browned Butter Parmesan Mashed Potatoes recipe.
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Herbed Leek and Bacon Stuffing
This year I tweaked my recipe just a tad and instead of Italian Sausage I am using Bacon and I’ve swapped out onion for leek to create this Leek and Bacon Stuffing.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Applewood bacon strips
- 1 1/2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 1/4 cup leeks, chopped and cleaned
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1-2 pears (ripe but firm), peeled and chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
- 3 cups dried stuffing cubes
- 8 ounces Swanson Certified Organic Chicken Broth
- Extra broth or water to reach desired consistency
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons golden raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble, then set aside.
- If there is excessive grease in the pan, remove extra leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. If necessary, add olive oil or canola oil. Saute the celery in the bacon grease until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the leeks and garlic and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, making sure to scrape up any browned bits.
- Add the pear, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Stir until well combined.
- Transfer to a large bowl and gently stir in the stuffing cubes.
- Pour in the broth, adding additional broth or water until your desired moistness and consistency is reached.
- Gently stir in the melted butter, cranberries, raisins, and pecans. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 350 degrees F in a covered casserole dish until stuffing is heated through, about 20-30 minutes. Remove the cover halfway through baking.
Notes
Make ahead: Stuffing does well assembled but not baked 1-2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Then, just bake before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 576Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1135mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 24g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Ginger says
Great recipe
Kelsey Jade says
That looks soo good!
Jenn says
By far my favorite recipe
Heather S says
Looks great!
Kara Nichols says
this looks wonderful will have to try.