And you thought stuffing was just for turkeys, ha! Today Rachael, also known as the adorable The Freckled Foodie (who we highly recommend you follow on Instagram, as we do!), is stuffing sweet potatoes full of Paleo cornbread, squash, bacon, pears, cranberries and tons of other yummy stuff. This recipe will make for a perfect side – and every guest at the table, Paleo or not, will rave about this dish!
In need of more Thanksgiving menu ideas? Check out this Thanksgiving Round Up, or pick up a copy of Real Life Paleo for even more holiday menu ideas!
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Before we get into this absolute must have side-dish for Thanksgiving, I need to express some feelings. The overwhelming feeling I’m experiencing at the moment is gratitude (just in time for Thanksgiving, am I right?!) I am extremely grateful to be able to share my recipe with all the Paleo Parents’ readers out there and am so thankful Stacy and Matt invited me to guest post! I have been a HUGE fan of theirs since almost day one of my paleo journey, more than two years ago, and my adoration has only grown with following Stacy on Instagram, listening to The Paleo View podcast, and drooling over all their amazing recipes. But, I don’t need to tell you all that since you are already here!
Since I knew I would be posting just in time for everyone to begin planning Thanksgiving dinner, I wanted to create a side-dish that would be a show stopper and make all the non-Paleo eaters out there think “huh, maybe I COULD eat Paleo after all!”
I am lucky to have converted enough of my family at this point that we can do an almost entirely Paleo Thanksgiving, but I know that is not often the case for everyone. Since my most popular “recipe” on my blog is How to Bake a Perfect Sweet Potato I knew I needed to go with that theme. This Stuffing Stuffed Sweet Potato uses an amazing cornbread recipe from Michelle at Gluten Free Fix for the croutons, and trust me, you don’t want to skip that part! The croutons are super easy and can be made the night before to make your life a lot easier and to make sure they are just the right texture.
Although it is a bit more time consuming than most of my recipes and takes some planning, the result is absolutely worth it! The sweetness from the pears, the tart bite from the cranberries, and the richness from the bacon will make this side dish the star of your holiday dinner. You can also just make the stuffing if you want to skip the sweet potatoes completely! It will easily feed 16 people but if you are cooking for fewer then just plan on having some amazing leftovers… I mean isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about anyways? Well, other than being grateful for everything you have, I guess 🙂
I wanted to end on another thing I am thankful for, and that is my health!
It is also something everyone who is reading this post should be thankful for- because you are here because your health matters to you as well! By cooking and providing real food options when there are store bought pies, rolls, and sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows galore, you are choosing health for you and your friends and family. And that, my friends, is awesome.
Ingredients
- 1 batch Paleo Cornbread
- 4-8 large sweet potatoes (8 servings with leftover stuffing or 16 servings)
- 2 firm bosc pears, cubed 1/2 inch
- 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed 1/2 inch
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 lb bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup melted ghee or pastured butter if you tolerate dairy
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 4 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- The night before, whip up a batch of paleo 'cornbread,' let it cool, cube it and leave it partially covered overnight to dry out a bit.
- Bake your sweet potatoes at 450 degrees for 45-60 minutes, flipping halfway through. (This step can be done the night before as well).
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- After cubing the pear and butternut squash place them in a large mixing bowl and pour over the melted butter; toss the pear and squash to coat. Spread the mixture on a foil lined baking sheet and salt liberally. Roast for 30 minutes stirring halfway through.
- Spread your cornbread croutons on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (while your squash and pears are roasting).
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat until crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel.
- Add the sage and thyme to the bacon fat and stir for a minute until fragrant, then add the onions, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent. Remove and transfer to a large bowl.
- Once the pear and squash are done add them to the bowl along with the chopped pecans and cranberries and gently stir. Add the bread cubes and bacon, gently stirring as to not break them up too much.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and broth together and pour this mixture evenly over the top of the stuffing and stir carefully.
- Transfer the stuffing mixture into a 13x9 baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Cover with tin foil and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.
- While the stuffing is baking, cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop out most of the insides of sweet potato, leaving a 1/4 inch on the skin to keep its form. Place the skins in a baking dish.
- Remove the stuffing from the oven and fill each skin completely.
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes uncovered, then remove from oven and drizzle with maple syrup if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use the extra sweet potato to make my favorite Sweet Potato Casserole or mashed sweet potatoes! You will have enough stuffing for 16 stuffed sweet potatoes or you can eat it plain for leftovers! Can be nut free if you leave out the cornbread croutons and the pecans!
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://paleoparents.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/FreckledFoodieGP-PaleoParents-Image5.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Rachael is a Minneapolis native with a passion for improving her health, body, and life and helping others do the same through nutrition! She has been living the paleo lifestyle since her first Whole30 in October 2012 after suffering from numerous medical issues through adolescence and college and hasn’t looked back since. She is now pursuing her dream of changing as many lives as possible by becoming a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner. She loves discovering new restaurants, cooking, yoga, lifting heavy things, spending time outdoors, and spreading the good food word! Connect with Rachael: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Freckled Foodie Blog[/author_info] [/author]
