Pork and chestnut stuffing

A delicious Christmas stuffing recipe with chestnuts, pork, lemon and spinach that is ideal for Christmas dinner.

White dish filled with pork chestnut stuffing topped with a sprig of rosemary
Published - 28 Nov 2025
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Cooking time
25 mins
Serves
12

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, approx 250g/9oz
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 100g/4oz smoked rindless bacon
  • 15g/½oz fresh thyme
  • 350g/12oz young spinach
  • 200g/8oz Merchant Gourmet vacuum-packed whole chestnuts
  • 1kg/1¾lb Cumberland sausages
  • 1 large, unwaxed lemon
  • 100g/4oz couscous
  • 150ml/5fl oz boiling water

Method

  1. Peel and finely chop the onion, then gently soften in 2 tbsp oil. Chop the bacon and strip the thyme from its stalks. Zest the lemon and chop very finely. Stir the bacon and thyme into the onion. Cook for about 10 minutes to crisp the bacon. Stir the zest into the onions and leave to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, slit the sausage skins and remove the meat to a mixing bowl. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add the spinach and toss with tongs for about 30 seconds until wilted. Tip into a colander to drain and cool. Squeeze until dry, then chop.
  3. Stir the couscous into 150ml boiling water, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop the chestnuts. Add the onions, spinach, couscous and chestnuts to the sausage meat. Add the juice of the lemon, season generously with salt and pepper, then mulch together until evenly mixed.

Notes

This recipe is intended for a Christmas meal to serve 10 to 12 people. Simply reduce the ingredients accordingly for smaller meals, or freeze the leftovers for future use. Frozen stuffing will need to be taken out to defrost 24 hours before serving, and is ideal to make ahead of time so you aren't too rushed in the kitchen on Christmas morning.

Leftover stuffing can also be turned into burgers by shaping into patties, brushing with oil and roasting on a baking tray in a hot oven for 20 minutes.

(Hero image credit: Shutterstock)

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