This heirloom recipe takes stuffing back to the basics adding chestnuts to stale bread and savory vegetables.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup shelled chestnuts (see below), chopped
- 10 slices stale white bread
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
Preparation:
Tear bread into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Set aside.Saute onion and celery in the butter until soft. Add salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, and chicken broth. Add bread chunks and chopped chestnuts. Lightly toss to combine.
Stuff loosely into chicken.
The stuffing may be cooked separately in an uncovered casserole dish at 350 F. for 30 minutes.
Yield: enough for 4-pound chicken or double ingredients for 12-pound turkey.
To Prepare Nuts:
Make a slit on each side of the chestnuts with a sharp-pointed paring knife and boil gently 20 minutes. Strip off shell and thin brown skin. Dip chestnuts in cold water to remove shell and skin more easily.

