Thanksgiving Stuffing/Dressing

[GotGarlic]

Don't feel guilty about it, Carol. We all take a little help from the store now and then. Depending on how I'm feeling, some years I've made my own bread to use for stuffing and other years I've used a bag of Pepperidge Farm seasoned bread cubes.

In any case, my stuffing is pretty basic and we love it: sauté onions and celery in melted butter, add sage, thyme, salt and pepper, then add the dried bread cubes and homemade turkey stock. Then I stir in some raisins because DH likes them - I'd rather not, but sometimes we compromise, eh? Then into the bird it goes. Any extra - and I must have extra [emoji38] - goes into a casserole dish for another day. No eggs. Delicious

 

[Kayelle]

....and we so enjoy you Di !!

As I mentioned when I make the dressing, I make lots and freeze it in quart zip lock bags. One of our favorite year round meals is making two mounds of defrosted dressing in a bake pan, and topping the mounds with two well seasoned skillet browned chicken thighs, finishing in the oven. The juices from the thighs into the dressing is spectacular, just like a stuffed bird. A gravy can be made with the fond in the skillet for mashed potatoes. Yummy!!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

One of the benefits of deconstructing the turkey is you can make two or three times as much stuffing, because there is never enough stuffing inside the turkey to please everyone or to have enough for leftovers, and dressing in a casserole dish just isn't the same. It might as well be Stove Top stuffing from a box.

 

[Cheryl J]

Every year when Thanksgiving is near, I look through these threads of wonderful sounding dressing ideas, and drool over how good they sound. Truth be told, my small family would disown me (well, probably not), but they love the dressing I make every year and are not too willing to have anything out of the norm.

I make pretty much the same basic dressing/stuffing as Craig and GG posted:

Mrs. Cubbison's or Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing mix
Chicken or turkey stock
Lots of sautéed celery and onion
Lots of butter
Chopped fresh sage and parsley

I also finely chop the package of giblets (except for the liver), simmer them in a little water 'til done, and add that and the simmering liquid to the dressing. To my knowledge, my fam doesn't know that. Shhhh....don't tell them or they would say 'ewww'.

LOL, they crack me up.

 

[Cheryl J]

....and we so enjoy you Di !!

As I mentioned when I make the dressing, I make lots and freeze it in quart zip lock bags. One of our favorite year round meals is making two mounds of defrosted dressing in a bake pan, and topping the mounds with two well seasoned skillet browned chicken thighs, finishing in the oven. The juices from the thighs into the dressing is spectacular, just like a stuffed bird. A gravy can be made with the fond in the skillet for mashed potatoes. Yummy!!

This sounds delish, Kay. There's always SO much dressing, so will def keep this in mind!

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Well, as you know, over here we don't have a Thanksgiving Day as such. I wish we did. It would be nice to think of all the good things we should be thankful for. Your versions of stuffing sound great - sadly, in Italy, we don't have whole turkeys, or even jointed ones. The chickens are rather small too, but as there are only the two of us we'll hack it with a miserable little thing, or maybe two so that Lucas our dog gets his share as well. I adore our dog and I spoil him rotten! I'm looking forward to doing your ways of doing stuffing. We have roast chicken every Sunday, so there's plenty of opportunity.

On closing my post, may I say I do so enjoy being part of this NG!


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

Di, there's something over here in the US called Friendsgiving.
Where groups of friends gather to give Thanks.
It can be alot of fun, especially when everyone brings a dish,
potluck style.
Maybe you could start your own Friendsgiving in Italy, be a trend setter

 

[Just Cooking]

Di, there's something over here in the US called Friendsgiving.
Where groups of friends gather to give Thanks.
It can be alot of fun, especially when everyone brings a dish,
potluck style.
Maybe you could start your own Friendsgiving in Italy, be a trend setter

A wonderful suggestion to have a Friendsgiving Day a couple of times a year...

Ross

 

[GotGarlic]

....and we so enjoy you Di !!

As I mentioned when I make the dressing, I make lots and freeze it in quart zip lock bags. One of our favorite year round meals is making two mounds of defrosted dressing in a bake pan, and topping the mounds with two well seasoned skillet browned chicken thighs, finishing in the oven. The juices from the thighs into the dressing is spectacular, just like a stuffed bird. A gravy can be made with the fond in the skillet for mashed potatoes. Yummy!!

Yeesh, I know you've mentioned this before and I forgot all about it, but this sounds G-RRR-REAT! (in my best Tony the Tiger voice). I'm going to put it in my phone calendar for December, January and February so I remember!

 

[medtran49]

My mother always made our stuffing/dressing with homemade cornbread, white bread, eggs, raw onions and celery, poultry seasoning, and broth. I made it the same way for years, except I started sautéing the veges in butter. But, Craig didn't/doesn't like it that way so if it's just me and him, he makes it his way because I'm not that picky about it.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Stuffing, Dressing or Filling as my husband's family calls it, is not something that I ever cared for, until I took over making the holiday meals.

My Paternal Grandmother was not a very good cook, but she did make a casserole style Dressing for the holidays that I liked. I've adapted her main concept and have started our own tradition.



I start with this recipe and add to it:
Fresh Gourmet - Recipe Details

I add about a pound of diced and sauteed Hawaiian Portuguese Sausage or Linguica. It adds a nice spice.



and rather than Chicken Broth, I use Turkey.
My younger sister who moved away from home when she finished college, came to have Thanksgiving at my Mother's with DH and I two years ago and Mom INSISTED that I make this dressing. Sister was, "EWWW" , I sais, no think of Grandma Eve's dressing; she took one taste and was hooked!
This is wonderful for breakfast with an egg on top

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Oh yeah, the reason why I make my Dressing casserole style is I deconstruct the Turkey for even roasting



... see all those juices in the bottom of the pan?
MMM! good gravy!

 

[Addie]

I've noticed that too. Apparently it “fluffs up” the dressing, at least according to some peoples’ moms. Not for me, thanks.

I had been told by my mother the reason was to hold the stuffing together. Like it is supposed to do for meatloaf.

 

[Kayelle]

My mother always made our stuffing/dressing with homemade cornbread, white bread, eggs, raw onions and celery, poultry seasoning, and broth. I made it the same way for years, except I started sautéing the veges in butter. But, Craig didn't/doesn't like it that way so if it's just me and him, he makes it his way because I'm not that picky about it.

My mom also used raw veggies , but I also like to saute the veggies in butter now. I also now use Mrs. Cubbisons cornbread mix.

 

[CraigC]

I have always made extra for a casserole. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without leftover stuffing mix for the next day's sandwiches. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy all of a large sub role.

Next Day? What do you mean Next Day? The after T-Day dinner sandwich is just the way to go! I'm not waiting till the next day! Stuffing on T-Day isn't just for the bird!

 

[cjmmytunes]

We make both plain and oyster dressing for Christmas. Our plain has herbed stuffing crumbles, stove top mix, ritz crackers, onions, turkey gibbrage, mixed with turkey broth and put in a pan that's dotted with butter cubes. Our oyster is just cornbread stuffing crumbles, stove top mix, ritz crackers, chopped up oysters that have been cooked and the juice that they were cooked in, mixed together and baked in a pan.

 

[Just Cooking]

I start with this recipe and add to it:
Fresh Gourmet - Recipe Details

I add about a pound of diced and sauteed Hawaiian Portuguese Sausage or Linguica. It adds a nice spice.

View attachment 28395


This is wonderful for breakfast with an egg on top

View attachment 28396

Linguica (as does bacon) makes almost everything better..

An egg on top of dressing IS delicious...

Ross

 

[Uncle Bob]

4 cups of corn meal converted into cornbread a day in advance.
1 pan of biscuits made a day or two in advance of which 4 or 5 are used.
4 to 6 raw eggs.... Not a binder.
Chicken stock with enough fat on top to float a pirogue.
etc. etc. etc.

 

[Katie H]

In our region, in addition to traditional (whatever is traditional for you) it is almost a law that cornbread dressing is also served. I happen to really like both and serve both.

A few years ago I came across a wonderful recipe for slow-cooker cornbread dressing by the wonderful folks at Southern Living. I've never tried a recipe by Southern Living that wasn't a 100% winner. Glenn loves it!

It's especially nice because it doesn't tie up any part of the stove or oven. If you're interested here's the recipe.

 

[bethzaring]

Okay, here goes..

I developed this recipe 15? years ago and made a note it was adapted from a recipe I found in the magazine, Cook's Illustrated.

4T butter, no substitutes
onion chopped, 1 1/2 cups
celery chopped, 1 1/2 cups
garlic, 4 cloves
oregano 1/2 t.
parsley, fresh chopped 1/2 cup
pepper 1/2 t.

dried bread cubes, 12 cups, I use home made whole wheat and herb bread

chicken stock 2 cups
eggs 3 large. lightly beaten
salt, 1 t.

I undoubtedly will add green chile in some form this year.