Pancetta and Sage Stuffing Muffins with Bay Blue
Makes 12 Muffins
6 ½ cups of bread (about 1 loaf), in ½” cubes
½ pound pancetta, diced
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
5 large fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
½ tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces Point Reyes Bay Blue, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-serving muffin tin and set aside.
In a single layer, place the bread cubes on two sheet pans and bake for 10 minutes, or until barely toasted. Remove and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, for about 7 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving pancetta grease in pan. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, celery, leek, salt and pepper, and cook until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage and thyme and cook until fragrant.
Transfer cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add pancetta, toasted bread, chicken broth and about ¾ of Bay Blue crumbles to the vegetable mixture and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary. Add eggs, stirring to combine.
Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, transfer stuffing mixture to each muffin tin, tightly packing the stuffing in each of the muffin cups. Top with remaining Bay Blue.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is browned. To remove, use a butter knife to loosen each of the stuffing muffin’s outer edge. Then gently lift muffins out of tins. Serve warm.
