Thanksgiving Stuffing/Dressing

[CarolPa]

I have always felt guilty because I use seasoned croutons to make my stuffing instead of bread, but now I've heard everything! I know some people put meat in it, and I tried it once with sausage and my family wouldn't eat it. They are accustomed to just bread stuffing.

In the Sunday paper, there were coupons for those frozen White Castle Burgers, along with a recipe for stuffing using chopped up burgers! Anyone ever heard of that? LOL They showed a picture of a casserole and it looked good, but I can't imagine that!! There was an option to bake it in a casserole or stuff it in the turkey.

 

[Andy M.]

I've made stuffing with breakfast sausage in it. Also made oyster stuffing. Now I just make stuffing. I buy "stuffing bread" and cube that up and toast it and add Bell's Seasoning, celery, onion, butter and turkey broth.

That's the way mom made it and I want that flavor for my stuffing and so does my family.

 

[Dawgluver]

I'm a traditionalist when I make my dressing, just like my mom and my side of the family has always made it. DH and his family rave about his mom's oyster stuffing. I didn't care for it at all. Don't think I'd care for dressing with meat in it either. I'd save the White Castle stuffing for another day, just my opinion.

 

[CraigC]

I use herbed bread cubes, celery, onion, chicken stock, poultry seasoning and lots and lots of butter for dressing.

 

[Dawgluver]

I use herbed bread cubes, celery, onion, chicken stock, poultry seasoning and lots and lots of butter for dressing.

Me too.

 

[Katie H]

I make stuffing like my mother's side of my family has for generations. I've fine tuned it as the years have passed but the ingredients are the same.

My mother/grandmother/great-grandmother, etc. always saved their "noses" and "heels" of bread loaves in a paper bag in a dry place until the holidays. By then, it was sufficiently dry and there was enough that could become the bread portion of the stuffing.

I don't do that because there are never any leftover bread pieces in our house. Instead, I buy the least expensive generic sandwich bread, freeze it, then (while still frozen) cut stacks of three slices into cubes. Much easier to cube when frozen. After I've cubed the bread it goes into the dehydrator until it's dry, dry, dry.

The other ingredients include equal parts of chopped onion, celery and green bell pepper. Liquids include some eggs, some milk, lots of butter. Toss together and seasonings of salt, pepper and loads of sage finish the mixture.

Most of it goes into the bird, hence "stuffing" and whatever might be left is put into a buttered casserole with a little broth drizzled over. I cover that with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

There's rarely any left.

P.S. Sometimes I put the leftover, uncooked, stuffing into a muffin pan and freeze until hard. Remove to a heavy-duty zipper bag and use as individual servings with chicken and pork.

 

[msmofet]

Herb seasoned stuffing cubes NOT crumbles (Pepperidge Farms or Arnold's)
Celery
Onion
Chopped Mushrooms
Chopped Walnuts
Fresh Rosemary, Thyme & Sage
Homemade turkey stock
Poultry seasoning
LOTS of Butter

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I use homemade cornbread, made a day ahead so it can dry out, and I use Italian sausage in my stuffing. Here is the complete ingredient list:

Sausage, Apple, and Fennel Corn Bread Dressing

Ingredients:

1 day-old cast iron skillet cornbread
2 tsp light olive oil
6 ounces bulk Italian sausage
2 cups onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 large Granny Smith apple, diced
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced fennel bulb
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1½ cups turkey stock
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

I would never even think of baking my stuffing in a casserole dish. That is NOT stuffing! I place the stuffing on the bottom of my turkey roaster, dismember the turkey into leg quarters, wings and breasts. I cook the breasts separately in a 425F oven for 30 minutes to ensure all parts will be ready at the same time. Then I place all the parts of the turkey on top of the stuffing and roast at 350F until breast registers 160 to 165 degrees and the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees, which can take anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes depending on the size of the turkey. This allows the stuffing to be flavored by the turkey juices as it cooks, and allows a lot more stuffing than putting it inside a turkey would.

 

[Kayelle]

Like my mother, I've always used sausage in my traditional dressing. To me, it's just missing something without it. I made oyster dressing once, and nobody would eat it beyond a taste. Icky.
I tasted a really different dressing as a sample at Trader Joe's recently for the low carb crowd. It's "Riced Cauliflower Dressing" with carrots, dried cranberries, leeks, and celery. Actually it was really tasty!
Souschef would have a fit it I didn't make enough of my traditional dressing to freeze his yearly stash.

 

[CarolPa]

My mother used to put oysters in her stuffing, but I don't. DH would not eat oysters.

Sir Loin, I think when it's baked in a casserole dish it's called dressing...not "stuffed" in the turkey. It's not the same to me, but everyone likes something different.

I thought the corn bread stuffing with sausage was good, but I was the only person eating it.

 

[Addie]

I've made stuffing with breakfast sausage in it. Also made oyster stuffing. Now I just make stuffing. I buy "stuffing bread" and cube that up and toast it and add Bell's Seasoning, celery, onion, butter and turkey broth.

That's the way mom made it and I want that flavor for my stuffing and so does my family.

Andy, I could have typed what you wrote, word for word. But my mother also made potato stuffing with sausage or oyster stuffing for the neck part of the bird. Depended on how much meat she had left over. When money was flush, we had oyster stuffing, and not so flush, sausage.

Also, my mother used to squish all the bread after it softened up from the eggs and small amount of milk she added. I have never been a fan of stuffing in cubes. Nor of nuts in my stuffing. My mother used to cut the X in the bottom of the chestnuts and put them in the oven to roast. I would eat them right out of the oven with a salt shaker in my hand.

 

[blissful]

I have a horrible confession. I have made thanksgiving stuffing usually outside the bird, with sausage, in balls or in a pan, for about 30 years +. The first 25 years it was great. Then this past 5 years it hasn't been as delectable. I don't know why but now I fear making dressing/stuffing for fear of failure. If I don't get it quite right, AGAIN, I'll probably never make it again. By failure, I mean, everyone doesn't covet the leftovers. Maybe since the boys are grown now, and we aren't big bread eaters, it just will never be the same.

In some ways, the gravy makes the dressing. We always eat it with gravy. The gravy is good, of that, there is never enough even if I make 2 quarts of it.

I may have to make stuffing with only a little sausage, never with corn bread, (northerner here) with mushrooms, with onion, butter and broth, sage, celery, a couple eggs, cubes of dried toasted bread and in a smaller amount. I need to find a recipe and follow it, (slaps self on the hands for trying to do it without a recipe).

Forgive me.

 

[Addie]

My mother used to put oysters in her stuffing, but I don't. DH would not eat oysters.

Sir Loin, I think when it's baked in a casserole dish it's called dressing...not "stuffed" in the turkey. It's not the same to me, but everyone likes something different.

I thought the corn bread stuffing with sausage was good, but I was the only person eating it.

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.

 

[Kayelle]

I see several people using eggs in the dressing. I've never done that and wonder if there's a reason for it, other than "that's what Mom did"?

 

[di reston]

If you're looking for a very simple stuffing, try sage, onion and pork sausage stuffing:

Fresh breadcrumbs
finely chopped onions
fresh sage finely chopped
pork sausage to make up 1/3 of the stuffing
Bitter or sour apple (in England they call them cooking or baking apples, and they're sour)
mix everything together, bind with however many beaten eggs you need to do that, and stuff the bird.

Chestnut stuffing is also very nice. Fresh breadcrumbs, onion, finely chopped chestnuts, pork sausage worked into the stuffing mix, bind with beaten egg.

Will be thinking of you all on the day.

di reston


enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[Kayelle]

If you're looking for a very simple stuffing, try sage, onion and pork sausage stuffing:

Fresh breadcrumbs
finely chopped onions
fresh sage finely chopped
pork sausage to make up 1/3 of the stuffing
Bitter or sour apple (in England they call them cooking or baking apples, and they're sour)
mix everything together, bind with however many beaten eggs you need to do that, and stuff the bird.

Chestnut stuffing is also very nice. Fresh breadcrumbs, onion, finely chopped chestnuts, pork sausage worked into the stuffing mix, bind with beaten egg.

Will be thinking of you all on the day.

di reston


enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

That's close to my dressing Di although in addition I also add celery and dried cranberries to mine. I love the "sweet/salty" thing going on with the fruit and sausage. I've never needed to use eggs as a binder, only turkey broth and lots of butter.

 

[Dawgluver]

I see several people using eggs in the dressing. I've never done that and wonder if there's a reason for it, other than "that's what Mom did"?

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

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Last year and we will again this year make stuffing in casseroles. The bird is stuffed with course chopped onion, apple after the cavity is seasoned.

We start out with a car load of bread slices set out to dry, (spread a clean sheet on a bed in the guest room, close the door and go.) Then include Jimmy Dean's breakfast sausage, onion, tart apples from our tree, poultry seasoning and garden sage, melted butter and homemade chicken stock. Several pans of that and one pan of vegetarian dressing.

If I were hosting at my house, I would include celery. For some reason Dx does not care for celery in her dressing. We have added sautéed sliced mushrooms, but too many people were picking them out (?!,) so no.

PS, you all should buy stock in butter. We use a lot, and not just in the stuffing

 

[di reston]

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

 

[msmofet]

I see several people using eggs in the dressing. I've never done that and wonder if there's a reason for it, other than "that's what Mom did"?

I never use eggs either. All they seem to add is "gas".