Chestnut Stuffing -- The Way Mama's Kitchen Smells on a Sunday

My week with the kids. Aiden played in his summer league championship Saturday. They lost in the semifinal to the Northwest team — same group of older kids that beat his team in the spring. Aiden scored 14 in the loss. He cried briefly and then he was fine. He's getting used to losing. He's also getting used to losing well, which matters more.

Tuesday I made meatloaf for the kids — Aiden's favorite right now. Wednesday I made jambalaya. Thursday I made tacos. The week's rotation. Aiden asked me Friday over dinner if we were rich. I laughed. I said no, buddy, we're not rich. He said, "But we eat like rich people." I said that's true. We eat better than rich people because we eat together.

Sunday at Mama's. Cheryl made roast chicken with stuffing — she was practicing for an early Sunday-school potluck. Pop ate well. The summer light through the kitchen window was warm.

Cheryl made that roast chicken for her Sunday-school potluck practice, but honestly it was the stuffing that had everybody quiet at the table — that good kind of quiet where nobody’s talking because they’re too busy eating. Chestnuts give it something you can’t quite name but you know the second it’s missing. After a week of feeding the kids and watching Aiden carry himself through a tough loss, sitting in Mama’s kitchen with that summer light coming through the window, this was the recipe I kept thinking about on the drive home — the one I’ll be making myself before the year is out.

Chestnut Stuffing

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb roasted chestnuts, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 loaf (about 12 oz) day-old white or sourdough bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth, warmed
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Dry the bread. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and leave out overnight, or toast in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes until dry but not browned. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
3. Sauté the aromatics. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
4. Combine with chestnuts. Add the cooked vegetable mixture and chopped chestnuts to the bread cubes. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
5. Add liquid. In a small bowl, whisk together the warm chicken broth and beaten eggs. Pour over the bread mixture gradually, tossing as you go, until the bread is moistened but not soggy. Fold in the parsley, salt, and pepper.
6. Bake. Transfer stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and lightly crisped.
7. Rest and serve. Let stuffing rest 5 minutes before serving. Pairs beautifully alongside roast chicken.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg