Eggplant and Mushroom Stuffing with Bacon

Eggplant and Mushroom Stuffing with Bacon makes a unique nutrient-dense stuffing alternative compared to traditional bread-based stuffing—in this recipe the bread is replaced with veggies! The eggplant and mushrooms are like vegetable sponges, absorbing the flavors around them. Not only is this stuffing delicious, it’s also versatile, working well for turkey, chicken, or Cornish hens.

Featured Ingredients

Eggplant is an excellent source of polyphenols, a well-studied class of phytonutrients shown to play a huge role in protecting against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions associated with oxidative stress.

Mushrooms are by far the best food source of the non-proteinogenic amino acid ergothioneine, which has been nicknamed the “longevity vitamin” since studies show that it reduces all-cause mortality and is associated with longer lifespan!

The nutritional value of celery comes from its impressive phytonutrient content as it contains large amounts of over a dozen well-studied phytonutrients, including the flavones luteolin and apigenin, known for their anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

Eggplant Nutrients

Oyster Mushroom Nutrients

Celery Nutrients

Eggplant and Mushroom Stuffing with Bacon

Nutrivore Score: 500

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Additional Hands Off Cooking & Resting Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 195kcal

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds eggplant 2 medium peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons salt for salting the eggplant
• 2 pounds mushrooms (any combination – cremini, chanterelle, oyster, royal trumpet, etc.)
• 6 ounces bacon
• 1 medium onion medium chopped fine
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon savory whole leaf dried
• 3 tablespoon butter

Instructions

• Toss the eggplant with the salt and let sit in a colander in the sink for at least one hour. This step is critical for getting the eggplant to hold its shape and not turn to mush.
• Rinse the salt off the eggplant, then place eggplant on several pieces of paper towel on the counter or a baking sheet. Cover with more paper towel and gently squeeze excess water out of the eggplant. Set aside.
• Chop bacon into small pieces (I like to use scissors for this job) and place in a cold skillet (cast iron is great here). Now, heat the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring fairly frequently.
• When bacon is mostly cooked, add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant is cooked and starting to brown. If eggplant starts to stick, add 1 tablespoon butter.
• Set bacon and eggplant aside in a large bowl and return skillet to the stovetop.  Now add 1 tablespoon butter with onion and celery. Cook until onion and celery have softened.
• Add mushrooms to skillet (you may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your frying pan). If vegetables start to stick, add another tablespoon of butter.
• Cook until mushrooms are nicely sautéed, but still firm. Add to eggplant and bacon in the big bowl.
• Toss vegetables with savory and parsley until well combined.  Let cool 15-30 minutes so it’s cool enough to handle to stuff the your poultry of choice.
• Stuff the poultry with the eggplant and mushroom mixture, utilizing both the front and back cavities. 
• Season the poultry with your favorite spices (or simply with salt, pepper, and paprika) and roast in a medium oven. (325 for turkey or 350 for chicken).
• Let the poultry rest 10-15 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving the bird.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Eggplant and Mushroom Stuffing with Bacon

Serving Size

 

8 g

Amount per Serving

Calories

195

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Saturated Fat

 

6

g

38

%

Trans Fat

 

0.2

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

5

g

Cholesterol

 

25

mg

8

%

Sodium

 

1941

mg

84

%

Potassium

 

941

mg

27

%

Carbohydrates

 

15

g

5

%

Fiber

 

6

g

25

%

Sugar

 

8

g

9

%

Protein

 

7

g

14

%

Vitamin A

 

294

IU

6

%

Vitamin C

 

5

mg

6

%

Calcium

 

52

mg

5

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

This recipe is enough for a 14 pound turkey so for bigger or smaller birds, scale accordingly.