Raisin Stuffing with Bacon and Kale – Sweet Meets Savory

Need a new stuffing recipe for you holiday meal this year? This sweet and savory Raisin Stuffing with Bacon and Kale will soon be your family’s favorite tradition. Sponsored by Sun-Maid Raisins.

Traditions are a funny thing. We love celebrating special moments every year that remind us of the past special moments we celebrated with those we loved.

Nothing is more traditional than the foods we serve during the holidays. My family counts on their favorite dishes appearing on the Thanksgiving table every year, like my pomegranate cranberry sauce.

I’m the same way. This year my mom is hosting Thanksgiving and I know that she will make and serve my favorite stuffing. It’s like I’m a kid again, eating the same Thanksgiving meal back in Houston.

But, like I said earlier, traditions are a funny thing. We like to make things interesting and add new traditions with our family and friends. And yes, even with food!

So when Sun-Maid Raisins asked me to share my family traditions during the holidays, I immediately thought of stuffing. Despite my 40-year old love for my mom’s stuffing, I decided to mix things up this year with a new stuffing recipe.

One of my favorite flavor combinations is mixing sweet and savory, sweet and salty. And I did that in this moist Raisin Stuffing with Bacon and Kale. I do not like eating super sweet foods for dinner, but a touch of sweet from plump Sun-Maid raisins are a whole other story.

Persians use raisins and other dried fruits in savory dishes all the time in rice and stews, among other meals. Raisins aren’t just for cookies and quick breads in my house!

Hearty bacon adds a wonderful salty contrast to sweet raisins. Kale leaves and stems add crunch and nutrition, replacing the more typical celery found in stuffing recipes. Fresh sage is a must when it comes to Thanksgiving flavor. I have a sage plant in my garden that is always bushy this time of year, and I love using fresh sage in my recipes.

But, no worries. Dried sage is a perfectly fine substitute when fresh isn’t available.

Something old, something new. That’s what traditions are all about. What new traditions are you doing this year?

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Yield: serves 8-10

Raisin Stuffing with Bacon and Kale

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Need a new stuffing recipe for you holiday meal this year? This sweet and savory Raisin Stuffing with Bacon and Kale will soon be your family’s favorite tradition.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 cups diced onions (1 medium onion)
• 10 oz chopped kale (about 8 cups)
• 2 cups Sun-Maid Raisins
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh sage (loosely packed) (or 4 teaspoons of dried sage)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 loaf (20-ounces) bread cut into ½-inch cubes (white or wheat)
• 3 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or turkey)

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat add bacon and cook until crispy.
2. Stir in onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in kale, raisins, sage, salt and pepper.
4. Cook until kale softens, approximately 5-7 minutes, then stir in raisin bread cubes.
5. Mix until ingredients are combined then stir in broth.
6. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes. You can also transfer stuffing, after broth is added, to an oven-safe dish and cook covered at 350ºF for 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 184Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 576mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 10g