Homemade Bread Stuffing with Butternut Squash & Bacon

baking dish filled with stuffing made with butternut squash

5 from 11 votes

Homemade Bread Stuffing with Butternut Squash & Bacon

Crispy bacon, chewy cubes of toasted, buttery bread, and a smattering of tender butternut squash make this Homemade Bread Stuffing a total MUST MAKE for your holiday dinner.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Thanksgiving

Servings: servings

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

10 oz. butternut squash, cooked
6 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 cups toasted white bread cubes
1 ½ cups chicken broth
4 tbsp. butter, plus 6 tbsp. melted butter
½ onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. salt, to taste
½ tsp. pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the 4 tbsp. of butter in a skillet and add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the squash and crumbled bacon and cook another minute.
Place the bread cubes in a 9x13" baking dish. Pour the butternut squash mixture on top and mix together.
Pour one cup of broth over the stuffing and gently mix. Add additional broth if necessary to reach desired consistency. I recommend only adding ½ cup more, for a total of 1 ½ cups of broth.
Drizzle the top with the 6 tbsp. of melted butter, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid or foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes to crisp the top. Stuffing is done when lightly browned and crisp on top.

Notes

Use fresh bread cubes toasted to crisp instead of store bought cubes for the best results;
Always bake the stuffing outside of the bird. When you stuff the turkey with the stuffing, it takes a lot longer to cook, typically resulting in drier meat. And possibly resulting in a stuffing that contains unsafe bacteria. It’s just better to cook your Thanksgiving stuffing in a separate baking dish. You can also drizzle the turkey drippings over the stuffing while it cooks if you want.
If your stuffing is too dry, add more chicken broth until the desired consistency is reached. be careful not to add too much or the dressing will be soggy;
Substitute any squash for the butternut squash if desired.
To make roasted squash, roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Use in stuffing. You can also use frozen butternut squash cubes for convenience (it's what I use) so you don't have to roast the squash.
To make the stuffing the day before: Make the squash and bacon mixture as directed and store in a airtight container in the fridge. Store the bread cubes in a separate airtight zipper bag until ready to use. When you’re ready to cook it, assemble in a 9×13″ baking dish. Follow the remaining recipe instructions.
To freeze the stuffing for future use: Combine all the ingredients expect the broth and 6 tbsp. of melted butter in an airtight freezer container and store for up to one month for best results. To cook, defrost in the fridge overnight, add the broth and butter and cook according to the recipe instructions.
To moisten leftover stuffing, add more liquid until desired consistency is reached. For the best results, add ½ cup of broth with a tbsp. of melted butter mixed in before you put it in the oven to reheat. Reheat at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.

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