Ingredients

• Buttermilk Corn Bread
• 8 bacon slices
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped shallots
• 4 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut corn bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Place corn bread cubes on baking sheet and toast until dry but not hard, about 15 minutes. Cool. Transfer to large bowl.
2. Butter 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels; reserve 1/4 cup bacon drippings in skillet. Cool bacon and crumble.
3. Add butter to bacon drippings in skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and shallots; sauté just until pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage and thyme. Add to corn bread cubes in bowl. Mix in pecans and crumbled bacon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
4. Stir 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into stuffing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Reserve 9 cups stuffing for turkey. Moisten remaining stuffing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake stuffing in covered dish alongside turkey for 1 hour. Uncover stuffing and bake until top begins to crisp, about 5 minutes longer.