As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to upgrade your feast with a side dish that is inspired from the rich culinary traditions of Portugal. Enter our Portuguese Cornbread Stuffing, with cornbread, aromatic spices, and a medley of savory ingredients that will transport your taste buds to the charming streets of Lisbon. This is my secret family recipe and I’m excited for you to try it!
A Little History
Cornbread holds a special place in Portuguese culinary history, showcasing the influence of both indigenous and Moorish flavors. The use of corn, prevalent in Portuguese cuisine, creates a uniquely textured bread that serves as the perfect base for our stuffing. Combined with a blend of aromatic spices and traditional ingredients, this stuffing pays homage to the country’s rich and diverse food culture.
Our Ingredients
Linguica: Linguica is a Portuguese sausage made from pork or turkey and seasoned with onion, garlic, paprika and other spices. It can be used fresh in cooked preparations or undergo a curing and preservation process through smoking. Gaspar’s is the traditional brand that I used but you can use any brand. Many grocery stores now carry it but you can definitely sub chorizo or ground turkey. If you are subbing it with ground turkey, make sure to season it with the linguica spices.
Cornbread: I purchased cornbread from my local bakery but you can make your own or just buy packaged cornbread stuffing. However, I must say that the taste is so much better when you get it fresh and dry it out.
French loaf: French loafs are easy to find and dry out perfectly for your stuffing.
Mirepoix: I bought a prepackaged mirepoix mix (combination of diced onion, carrots, and celery) and just set the carrots aside for another recipe. This saved me some time.
Let’s make our Portuguese cornbread stuffing!
Cornbread Stuffing Video
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Portuguese Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 French loaf
- 1 15 oz cornbread
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lb Linguica or chorizo
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp dry sage
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder Trader Joe’s
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 bundle thyme
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop your french loaf into cubes.
- Chop your cornbread into cubes.
- Dry them out overnight or in the oven at 275F for thirty minutes.
- Finely chop your celery, onions, and garlic. I'm using a food processor to get them as small as possible.
- Peel the casing from your linguica and dice into small pieces.
- Then place them in the food processor to form small bits.
- Melt your butter and add in your onion, celery and garlic. Saute until all the water has evaporated.
- Add in your linguica, sage, onion salt and red pepper and saute until the linguica is crispy.
- Add in your chicken stock and thyme and simmer for five minutes.
- Add in your bread and transfer to a baking dish.
- Top with parsley and bake covered at 350F for 35 minutes.
