Hatch Chile Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Recipe by: Martin Rios

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Serving size: 1/8 of recipe
Calories: 516
Total Fat: 31 g
Saturated Fat: 16 g
Carbohydrates: 46 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 10 g
Protein: 17 g
Cholesterol: 105 mg
Sodium: 563 mg

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
8 ounces fresh corn kernels
4 ounces melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
10 ounces shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 to 5 Hatch green chiles, fire-roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 ounces sliced green onions
4 ounces chopped celery
3 ounces dried figs, diced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, corn kernels, melted butter, and beaten eggs until combined.
In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Fold in the shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and chopped Hatch chiles.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 3035 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool, then tear or chop the cornbread into small pieces and leave uncovered overnight to dry.
In a saut pan over medium heat, cook the sliced green onions, chopped celery, diced dried figs, and pine nuts, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant.
Combine the toasted mixture with the dried cornbread pieces in a large bowl. Pour in the chicken broth and gently toss until the stuffing is moistened and evenly combined. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Note: For a firmer stuffing, add less chicken broth; for a moister stuffing, add a bit more. Adjust Hatch chile quantity to taste for desired heat level.