Many people consider stuffing the best part of a Thanksgiving meal, and they can be quite particular about it — some like it dense and moist from the turkey juices, others fluffy and browned from the oven. We've made sure everyone will be satisfied: This recipe makes enough stuffing for the turkey and the onions, with plenty left over for another baking dish of stuffing.
You can easily adapt the recipe to suit vegetarian guests — simply eliminate the bacon (use olive oil instead of bacon fat for sautéing the vegetables) and substitute vegetable stock for the turkey stock.
Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr
Stuffing can be prepared and onions can be stuffed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffed onions to room temperature before baking.
Recipe information
Total Time
3 1/2 hr
Yield
Makes 10 stuffed onions
Ingredients
Preparation
Make onion shells:
Step 1
Cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from tops of onions, discarding tops, and trim just enough from bottoms for onions to stand upright. Scoop out all but outer 2 or 3 layers from each using a small ice cream scoop or spoon (don't worry if you make a hole in the bottom), reserving scooped-out onion and onion shells separately.
Make stuffing:
Step 2
Coarsely chop enough scooped-out onion to measure 3 cups.
Step 3
Cook bacon in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving about 1/3 cup fat in skillet.
Step 4
Add chopped onion, celery, salt, and pepper to skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in spinach, bread, cashews, butter, 1 cup stock, and bacon, then cool completely.
Roast onions:
Step 5
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Step 6
Arrange onion shells, open sides up, in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then add 1/2cup water and cover pan tightly with foil. Roast onions in middle of oven until tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.
Stuff and bake onions:
Step 7
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Step 8
Transfer shells to a work surface and pour off water in pan. Fill shells with stuffing, mounding it, and return to pan. Reserve 5 to 7 cups stuffing for turkey cavity, then put remaining stuffing in a buttered shallow 3 1/2-quart baking dish and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup stock. Bake stuffed onions and stuffing in dish in middle of oven, uncovered, until heated through, about 25 minutes.
