Recipe of the Moment: Pear, Feta, and Bacon Stuffing

(Don't forget to enter my chocolate cookbook giveaway going on!)

I celebrated one of my many Thanksgiving dinners early this year, and it was so delicious. I'm definitely looking forward to the other 2-3 more I have this coming week.

We had the usual fixings: chicken, mashed cauliflower, roasted broccoli, baguettes, and, of course, stuffing.

But I didn't want to do my usual stuffing. While it's good, it's pretty standard and boring. I did a quick search for other stuffing recipes, hoping to be inspired, and I definitely was! I found a recipe at Schnoodle Soup that involved feta cheese, pears, and bacon. I was in.

This stuffing is so delicious. Oddly enough, I couldn't want to try it so as soon as it came out of the oven, I tasted it, and I was a little disappointed. I didn't say anything to the boyfriend, but just set it on the table and served myself as usual. I took another bite (at the appropriate time), and this time I was in love! I'm not sure if it just needed to cool or if I had too much bread and not enough of the filling, but every bite after the first one was spectacular.

If you're in the mood for something a little different, definitely give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

1 loaf of French bread, either from the bakery or using this recipe

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 small onion, diced

2 pears, cored, peeled, and cut into cubes

5 slices of bacon, chopped

4 oz. feta, crumbled

1/2 tsp. ground thyme

1/2 tsp. ground sage

1/3 cup fresh parsley

2 cups water

olive oil

salt

pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 300. Cut the bread into small cubes, and lay them out on a baking sheet.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until dried out. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

Turn up the oven to 350. 

Lay the bacon out on the cooking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on desired crispiness level. (Trust me, baking is so much better than using a skillet.)

In a large skillet, add a small amount of olive oil. Add onions, and cook over medium heat until translucent  about 5 minutes.

Add celery, and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.

Add pears, and cook for an additional minute.

Stir in thyme, sage, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and add mixture to the bread in the bowl, stirring to ensure even distribution.

Add in bacon and feta, continuing to stir.

Coat a 9x13 pan with oil, and add mixture. 

Pour additional 2 cups of water over the mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!