Bacon Cranberry Pistachio Dressing

Homemade bacon cranberry pistachio dressing – perfect for Thanksgiving! Whether you put it in the bird (then it’s stuffing) or on the side, no holiday meal is complete without it!

Dressing and stuffing are pretty much the same things. The difference is one is made in the oven in a pan and the other is made inside of a turkey (or some other fowl.)

I’m not traditionally a dressing eater but I really like making it. Something about combining my favorite flavors into a bready mess is very exciting. This homemade bacon cranberry pistachio dressing is just that kind of recipe.

Bacon Cranberry Pistachio Dressing

Bacon is a favorite of the masses. I chose a super thick cut of bacon for this Thanksgiving dressing recipe and sautéed the vegetables in some of the bacon fat.

Cranberry has been my favorite flavor this fall season so it had to be included here. I made a delicious apple cranberry mimosa and a cranberry and goat cheese crescent ring earlier this year and still had some fresh cranberries to experiment with.

I had never used pistachios in a recipe and was excited to break new-ingredient ground. You need to use unshelled pistachios so either take the time to un-shell a bunch or find unshelled pistachios at the store.

I hunted and hunted for them and found some deshelled Turkish pistachios. They are green and purple and added a nice dash of color to this easy recipe.

How to Make Bacon Cranberry Pistachio Dressing

Cut up some slightly stale French bread and place it in a big bowl. Fry up the bacon and remove it from the pan.

Pour out most of the bacon grease but make sure there is still a little grease in the pan. Add the celery and onion and once the onion is translucent, add the remaining ingredients.

Chop up the bacon into little bits while that is cooking and add it to the bread. Then pour the pan’s ingredients into the bowl and toss gently until everything is combined.

Pour into all into a baking dish and bake it in the oven until the top is crispy. Your guests are going to love this easy Thanksgiving dressing recipe!

Did you make this recipe? Tag @thethirstyfeast on IG!

Bacon Cranberry Pistachio Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Homemade bacon cranberry pistachio dressing - perfect for Thanksgiving! Whether you put it in the bird (then it's stuffing) or on the side, no holiday meal is complete without it!

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Ingredients

• 6 cups French bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 pounds bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces (reserve some of the grease)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick spray or rubbing it down with butter.
2. Place the bread cubes and cooked bacon into a large bowl and set aside.
   In a large pan, heat the reserved bacon grease and butter. When the butter is melted, add the celery and onion. Saute until translucent. Add the chicken stock, ranberries, pistachios, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well, then pour over the bread and bacon. Scrape the bottom of the pan if anything is sticking to it.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes, uncovered, until the top of the bread cubes are brown and crispy. Halfway through cooking time, stir once.
4. Remove from oven and allow 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 563 Total Fat: 36g Saturated Fat: 13g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 21g Cholesterol: 98mg Sodium: 1829mg Carbohydrates: 23g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 5g Protein: 36g

Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes?

Try this turkey breakfast sausage and apple dressing!

Or this maple bourbon cranberry sauce.