Possibly the last Thanksgiving recipe...

Unless someone has a specific request, this may be my last Thanksgiving recipe. The holiday has been over for a while now and there are only so many holiday dishes one can take. However, I really liked this recipe (and so did my dad), so I figured I'd add it to the list. This may be the best vegetarian stuffing I've made yet.

Chestnut, Leek and Apple Stuffing
6 cups bread cubes (I used ciabatta....yum)
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 chopped flat leaf parsley
14-16 oz bottled, peeled chestnuts, halved (my mom totally didn't believe these existed. But they do! Here's my sister, modeling along side them. She's helpful that way.


Thanks, Alli!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread cubes for 15 minutes to dry them out.

2. Increase oven temp to 450 degrees. Hey, don't forget to wash your leeks and apples. Otherwise, you might eat dirt. Ick!

3. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.


I'm clogging everyone's arteries with this dish...but it only happens once a year.

4. Cook the leeks and the celery until soft, about ten minutes.


5. Add thyme, apples, and some salt and pepper. Saute for another 5 minutes.


6. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the bread, parsley, more salt and pepper and the cream (yeah, this recipe has butter and cream. Sue me. I didn't make it up). Put the mixture in a shallow baking dish.


7. Bake until heated through and the top is golden brown (about 30 minutes).


It was very good. What's not to like? Bread, cream, butter, apples...... I wasn't a huge fan of the bottled chestnuts, truth be told, but I wasn't about to roast, shell and halve three cups worth, so what can you do? Gourmet said it was okay.