Savory Bread Stuffing/dressing With Apples

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 22 ounces loaf of day-old italian bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, and toasted in oven
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ounces bacon, diced
• 2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 large granny smith apples, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, fresh, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaf
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 in large dutch oven or heavy saucepot, heat oil on medium-high, until hot.
• 2 add bacon and cook until golden brown, and crisp. with slotted spoon, remove to paper towels, to drain.
• 3 in same dutch oven. add fennel, onion, and garlic. cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are golden and tender, stirring frequently. add apples and cranberries, and cook 4 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently.
• 4 add broth and heat to boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes.
• 5 in a large bowl, combine bread and broth mixture. stir in parsley, sare, rosemary, salt and pepper and bacon.
• 6 in a shallow 3-quart glass baking dish, spread mixture.
• 7 cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
• 8 uncover and bake 15 minutes longer or until top of stuffing is golden brown.