Antonia's Portuguese Stuffing

My husband never knew his grandparents on his father's side of the family as my father in law was the youngest of nine siblings and was a "change of life" baby as they like to call it. His Portuguese grandmother, Antonia, was pregnant with twins at the age of 50, but the doctors thought she had a tumor. Nine months later, my father in law was born and sadly, his brother had passed in the womb. By the time my husband was born, both grandparents had passed away, but the stories lived on through his parents, aunts, uncles and older cousins.


One tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation is that every family member makes Antonia's Portuguese Stuffing. When I first started dating my husband in 1993, I had never eaten chorizo. I think I may have shared this story before, but this Portuguese Stuffing was my first encounter with chorizo one holiday and I've been a huge fan ever since. My mother in law makes this stuffing every Thanksgiving and we all look forward to it, especially my youngest daughter who just LOVES it. And to think, in twenty years we only missed out on it once when my MIL fell and broke her hip two years ago.

This year, I finally asked her if I can make this recipe myself and share it with all of you and she was more than happy to oblige. This Portuguese Stuffing made with chorizo, ground beef, celery, onions, garlic and stuffing mix is delicious and would make a wonderful new addition to your holiday table. The stuffing can be a tad on the spicy side depending on the brand of chorizo you purchase, so look for the mild version if you're sensitive to heat. You can also prepare this stuffing the day before, refrigerate then heat when ready to eat.
~Enjoy!

Antonia's Portuguese Stuffing

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes   Yield: 9 cups  Serves: 18 (1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. 90/10 Ground Beef
• 12oz. Chorizo, peeled and small dice
• 1 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 2 Celery Stalks, small dice
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, small dice
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 12oz. Stuffing Mix (I used Pepperidge Farm Country Style)
• 2 1/2 c. Fat Free Chicken Broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large nonstick pan, brown the ground beef until it it cooked through and no longer pink; approximately 6-8 minutes. Drain any fat off and add the meat to a large bowl. 
3. In the same pan, add the chorizo and allow to brown; approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the chorizo to the bowl. 
4. In the same pan, melt the butter and stir in the celery, onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add this mixture along with the remaining ingredients to the bowl. 
5. Combine all ingredients and mix well. The stuffing should be wet. 
6. Add the stuffing to an oven safe baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and lightly browned. 

Nutrition Facts 

Calories 233, Carbs 13.5g, Fat 13.6g, Protein 13.7g, Fiber .7g, Sugar 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

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