Stuffing/Dressing Contest Winner

1 Comment | Written on November 22, 2011 at 6:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

I am so glad that Thanksgiving is only a couple of days away! I can’t take the suspense anymore…I just want to dive into all these delicious holiday recipes!

This unique and flavor-packed stuffing won our recent “Stuffing/Dressing” recipe contest. Take a look and you can see why! If you are looking to try a new recipe this holiday, run out and get the ingredients for this dish today!

Mushroom, Bacon, & Caramelized Onion Stuffing (click here to view and print recipe)

Ingredients:

6 slices Thick Cut Bacon

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, chopped

3/4 cup Fresh Mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

8 cups Unseasoned Cubed Crusty Bread, Italian or French bread

3/4 cup Shredded Romano Cheese

1 tsp Dried Sage

1 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary

3 Tbsp Melted Butter

2 cups Chicken Stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning frequently. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, add the olive oil, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Saute over low heat until the onions are caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the bread, onion/mushroom/garlic mixture, bacon, cheese, sage, and rosemary. Pour melted butter and stock over mixture and gently stir together until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9” x 13” baking dish and cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until the center is firm and the top is lightly browned.

Congratulations to Dawn Moore! Let’s find out about her inspired dish.

How did you come up with your winning recipe?

I actually created the recipe for this contest. I love a cooking challenge and have never really dabbled with a stuffing recipe so I knew this was the perfect opportunity.

What inspired you to enter the Better Recipes weekly contest?

I love the Better Recipes contests and have entered many of them because the themes are always fun and I love to create new recipes. The prizes are pretty great, too!

Why do you think your recipe stood out to the judges?

My recipe may have stood out because of the yummy bacon, caramelized onion, and mushroom combination…you don’t typically see that combination in traditional stuffing.

Do you have any advice for others interested in entering our recipe contests?

Take what you love and just go with it. If you have a favorite recipe, chances are pretty good that other people will love it, too.

Do you have any plans for the prize money? Any plans if you should win the grand prize?

I usually use any prize money for kitchen essentials. I will probably put the prize money into kitchen items…I can always use new kitchen tools and groceries to experiment with new recipes. If I were to win the grand prize, it would probably go in our family vacation fund. I have been able to take my family on some great vacations with recipe contest prize winnings!

Do you have any other kitchen tips, recipe advice or culinary wisdom to share with the Better Recipes readers?

Experiment, experiment, experiment…just get in that kitchen and have fun!!!

Thanks so much Dawn! I think this winning dish just might find it’s way to many Thanksgiving tables this year!