Ciabatta Stuffing with Pancetta & Mushrooms

This Thanksgiving I cooked the turkey and stuffing.  Let me just say, I am not a fan of turkey...unless it's roasted and thinly sliced on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes slathered with Caesar dressing sandwiched between a huge soft and flaky buttered croissant.  But I was designated to cook it because one, my niece wanted it {but she didn't even eat it} and two, the middle sister wasn't here to cook it.

Anyway...I prepared and cooked the turkey the way a friend did last year a la Chef John's videos on Foodwishes.  For me, it was just OK.  &&& I'm a pretty mean cook {toot-toot}.  I tell ya, turkey and I just don't mesh well.  Because the turkey wasn't as great as I expected {I had high hopes because my gal pal is one mean cook too}, I will instead share the deliciousness that is ciabatta stuffing with pancetta and mushroom.  I've made this for past holidays and it's always a hit, especially with the baby sister...she loves her pancetta!

What you need {scroll down for the deets}

Saute until crisp and golden brown, then remove to let it cool.

Saute the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, mushrooms and season with S&P. Saute until the onions are very tender.

The finished product at the top right corner.

It's even better on the second day!

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, plus more for baking dish

8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 pound baby bella mushrooms, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth, plus more if needed
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 2-inch glass baking dish.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.
2.  Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, and mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.

3.  In a large bowl, add the sauteed vegetables, the chestnuts, Parmesan, and bread.  Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten.  Add the cooked pancetta and eggs.  Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper and add the parsley.  Stir to completely combine all the ingredients.

4.  Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Bake until the stuffing is heated through and the top is golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

xoxo,

miss b.

P.S. Excuse the quality of the last two pics, I was famished by the time I took those pictures.