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Chestnut stuffing

Large bowl of chopped chestnuts and bacon, sausage meat, thyme and chopped parsley. Beige pot with cooked chestnut stuffing. Chestnuts and thyme scattered.

I can’t imagine roasting a turkey without a good chestnut stuffing and Delia Smith’s eighteenth-century version is a favourite.

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • Frying pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Plastic bag

Preparation method

  • Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion, bacon, and liver for 10 minutes or so, until the onion looks transparent and starts to colour.
  • Allow to cool to room temperature before tipping into the mixing bowl and adding all the remaining ingredients.
  • Add salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
  • Either stuff the turkey (neck end) immediately or, if you make the stuffing on Christmas Eve, put it in a freezer bag and put in the fridge until needed.

Tip: After you have peeled onions or shallots, cut them in half and remove the inner shoots as they can cause indigestion.
More stuffing recipes
Lemon and parsley stuffing
Sage and onion stuffing (for Michaelmas Goose)

Georgian

Serves:
6
Prep Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 450 g peeled chestnuts, cooked and very finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • The liver from the turkey, chopped small (optional)
  • 110 g smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
  • 25 g butter
  • 4 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 dsp chopped fresh thyme
  • ¼ tsp ground mace
  • 225 g pork sausagemeat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chestnut stuffing
Serving Size
 
176 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
420
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
22
g
34
%
Saturated Fat
 
8.1
g
51
%
Cholesterol
 
82
mg
27
%
Sodium
 
558
mg
24
%
Potassium
 
651
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
 
44
g
15
%
Fiber
 
4.8
g
20
%
Sugar
 
9.5
g
11
%
Protein
 
12
g
24
%
Calcium
 
53
mg
5
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

Chestnuts, Christmas

Christmas, Christmas Day

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2026
Illustrations by Chichi Parish
Site by Anselm Eustace