Stuffing:how do you make it?

[lambskin]

Every family has their own stuffing recipe. Some use cornbread, white bread and even White castle hamburgers. Oysters vs. mushrooms pork sausage. Our family uses toasted white bread cubes, dried whole sage leaves, onions and celery cooked in butter, salt & pepper to taste. Hubby has now demanded some pork sausage in it as well. And we do stuff the bird (!) and make a large casserole dish of same as there is never enough.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I don't make a stuffing. I stuff the turkey with mirepoix and then use all the roasted veggies and drippings to make gravy. Nom Nom. I do make cornbread muffins....

 

[CRYSTAL24K]

No help from me either. I can make pretty much anything else except for stuffing and cake for some reason.

I call up my stepmother and say: Brenda, please bring your stuffing.

Hubby makes a great stuffing also, totally different though and he uses no recipe.

 

[Karl_K]

If it don't have chopped apples in it I complain.
naw not really but it is my favorite and how my mom made it.
Dried wheat bread finely broken up, chopped apples ,some spices, fried onion, and fried sausage with turkey or chicken broth and 2 eggs for liquid.

 

[stracci2000]

I first make a pot of broth by simmering the turkey neck, heart, giblets, onion, celery, salt and pepper.
Then I cube up a loaf of French or Italian bread, and toast the cubes on a cookie sheet.
I saute a whole onion and several ribs of celery in butter. Maybe I'll throw in some chopped garlic, parsley, or anything else that strikes me at the time. Transfer to a big mixing bowl. Then I add dried sage, salt and pepper, raisins. Then moisten by tossing with with some of the broth. Stuff the bird, and bake the rest separately in a casserole dish.
Use the rest of the broth to make gravy.

 

[momhappy]

I follow a traditional recipe (nothing goofy like raisins, cornbread, apples, etc. - just the standard, white bread stuffing). I used to stuff it in the bird, but we started deep frying our turkey (to free up my oven space) and I bake it in the oven. I have also tried putting it in a crock pot (again, using the traditional recipe) and that worked well too.

 

[telephone89]

I haven't tried a stuffing that I've liked yet. Maybe I'm going too out there and need to tone it down? I'm probably just too picky. I bet thats it.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I buy Mrs. Cubbison's corn bread stuffing, follow box instructions for the most part, except I add breakfast sausage, and I bake in a dish instead of stuffing in a turkey. I like my stuffing to be dryer and crispier on top, and I can't achieve that stuffed inside a turkey.

 

[ame]

I like plain old stove top. Lol

 

[canuk-gal]

I first make a pot of broth by simmering the turkey neck, heart, giblets, onion, celery, salt and pepper.
Then I cube up a loaf of French or Italian bread, and toast the cubes on a cookie sheet.
I saute a whole onion and several ribs of celery in butter. Maybe I'll throw in some chopped garlic, parsley, or anything else that strikes me at the time. Transfer to a big mixing bowl. Then I add dried sage, salt and pepper, raisins. Then moisten by tossing with with some of the broth. Stuff the bird, and bake the rest separately in a casserole dish.
Use the rest of the broth to make gravy.

Much like this sans the raisins but add mushrooms. Lots of butter for sautéing.

cheers--Sharon

 

[lyra]

We have a celiac in the family, so we've had to learn to do gluten free stuffing. We have a recipe for making our own gluten free bread, which is the best way to start. Sometimes we use store bought gluten free bread. We also add rice, onions, celery, and organic gluten free broth. Gluten free is always a bit drier, but with added broth and rice to bind, it does well. We use all the innards or giblets to make our gravy. It has to be thickened with rice flour, which isn't ideal, but it works.

 

[Gypsy]

I get Trader Joes Chicken Broth (the bright red box, not the low sodium). Bread cubes (just basic unseasoned ones, or I buy some bread and chop it up and dry it out on the counter for a few days).

I saute onions, leeks, celery in a butter (quite a bit of it) with fresh thyme, some chopped parsley, and lots of sage (fresh or powdered) and garlic powder (you can use minced real garlic, but unless you get it just right sometimes it can ruin the dressing so I just use the powdered) until the onions are soft. I add the cranberries and Smoked Chicken Apple Sausage cut up into large chunks (Trade Joes again). Sometimes I'll add in chopped pecans, this year I'm adding in toasted pine nuts. Then I add in the chicken broth and let it get up to a simmer. By this time it smells pretty amazing, and I season with salt and pepper to taste. And then I add in the bread cubes until it gets to the consistency I want and I stir it and make sure the bread is soaked through. I transfer it to a baking dish. I usually make this the day before. So I take it out and put it in the oven on the day of for a while to bake, uncovered so it gets a nice crust on top.

That's about it.

 

[missy]

Just got a quick synopsis from dh re his stuffing (which is undeniably yummy)...

Sautee chopped or diced onions, celery, red peppers and a small amount of carrots in olive oil until soft. Add to taste poultry seasoning (thyme, sage and marjoram). Add no sodium vegetable stock and bring to boil. Turn off and set aside and let cool. Add fresh dates, freshly chopped parsley and 2 bags of cornbread stuffing mix. When vegetable mixture cools add 2 well beaten eggs. Mix all together in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

 

[NonieMarie]

My family makes a Malfatti Stuffing. Malfattis are similar to the ricotta and spinach you find inside of raviolis. After adding a few other ingredients, you roll the mixture up the size of a small pinky finger, boil like a ravioli and serve with spaghetti sauce.
The stuffing is sautéed onions, garlic and celery in a lot of butter added to cubed dried bread with vegetable stock. Then you add chopped frozen spinach a lot of parmesan cheese, eggs and some poultry seasoning. We like it cooked in a casserole so there are crunchy edges. Sometimes I make extra and cook in muffin tins. Those I keep in the freezer and microwave when I need something yummy.
I grew up on this stuffing. We had it when we went to my Italian side's family dinners. My family carries on the tradition. The stuffing is for Thanksgiving and the Malfattis are for Christmas.

 

[Gypsy]

I get Trader Joes Chicken Broth (the bright red box, not the low sodium). Bread cubes (just basic unseasoned ones, or I buy some bread and chop it up and dry it out on the counter for a few days).

I saute onions, leeks, celery in a butter (quite a bit of it) with fresh thyme, some chopped parsley, and lots of sage (fresh or powdered) and garlic powder (you can use minced real garlic, but unless you get it just right sometimes it can ruin the dressing so I just use the powdered) until the onions are soft. I add the cranberries and Smoked Chicken Apple Sausage cut up into large chunks (Trade Joes again). Sometimes I'll add in chopped pecans, this year I'm adding in toasted pine nuts. Then I add in the chicken broth and let it get up to a simmer. By this time it smells pretty amazing, and I season with salt and pepper to taste. And then I add in the bread cubes until it gets to the consistency I want and I stir it and make sure the bread is soaked through. I transfer it to a baking dish. I usually make this the day before. So I take it out and put it in the oven on the day of for a while to bake, uncovered so it gets a nice crust on top.

That's about it.

OPPS. That's DRIED cranberries. DRIED. Use fresh ones and it gets wonky. I always forget to tell people DRIED.

 

[aljdewey]

Toasted and cubed Italian Bread, LIBERAL amounts of Bell's Seasoning, sauteed onions and celery in obscenely luxurious butter, eggs, milk, chicken broth, white wine, chopped sage, salt, pepper, cooked crumbled sweet Italian sausage, chopped Bartlett pears, and chopped pecans.

I cook an enormous batch (2.5 loaves of italian bread as the base), so I cook it on the side in it's own huge roasting pan.

I am *legendary* for my stuffing, and it's one of the things that epitomizes Thanksgiving for me.

 

[canuk-gal]

My family makes a Malfatti Stuffing. Malfattis are similar to the ricotta and spinach you find inside of raviolis. After adding a few other ingredients, you roll the mixture up the size of a small pinky finger, boil like a ravioli and serve with spaghetti sauce.
The stuffing is sautéed onions, garlic and celery in a lot of butter added to cubed dried bread with vegetable stock. Then you add chopped frozen spinach a lot of parmesan cheese, eggs and some poultry seasoning. We like it cooked in a casserole so there are crunchy edges. Sometimes I make extra and cook in muffin tins. Those I keep in the freezer and microwave when I need something yummy.
I grew up on this stuffing. We had it when we went to my Italian side's family dinners. My family carries on the tradition. The stuffing is for Thanksgiving and the Malfattis are for Christmas.

HOLY what time is dinner MOLY! sounds awesome!!

 

[ecf8503]

I usually get Sage flavored bread cubes, saute onions and celery in butter, add chicken broth, apples, walnuts, cranberries, and raisins, with salt and extra sage. Yum!

 

[Gypsy]

Toasted and cubed Italian Bread, LIBERAL amounts of Bell's Seasoning, sauteed onions and celery in obscenely luxurious butter, eggs, milk, chicken broth, white wine, chopped sage, salt, pepper, cooked crumbled sweet Italian sausage, chopped Bartlett pears, and chopped pecans.

I cook an enormous batch (2.5 loaves of italian bread as the base), so I cook it on the side in it's own huge roasting pan.

I am *legendary* for my stuffing, and it's one of the things that epitomizes Thanksgiving for me.

Hmm. Bells seasoning. That's a good idea. I always use try to fresh herbs, but this would simplify. I like the addition of the white wine and the pears.

Question though, what does the egg and milk to. And what is your process. THANKS!

 

[VRBeauty]

Love this thread! Lots of great food for thought! The stuffing is one of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving meal, so I read and considered each post, and... I just finished my stuffing "soup" using the suggestions in here - sautéed some sausage, then sauteed onions and celery and a little parsley and one apple in lots of butter, then added white wine and a bit of broth and rubbed sage and salt and pepper, and a beaten egg. Tomorrow I'll add a box of bread stuffing mix to all of that and pop it in the oven. Can't wait. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

 

[TooPatient]

1: Make challah with lots of fresh herbs baked in
2: Make really rich chicken or turkey stock
3: Cut the challah into cubes, toss with a bit of olive oil & ground up dried herbs, roast until dry and golden
4: Slow cook onions, celery, and garlic until caramelized. Add a bit of chicken stock and more herbs.
5: Mix bread cubes, onion mixture, diced apples, toasted almonds, and cranberries in a big bowl.
6: Add the super rich stock until almost the right texture.
7: temper some eggs with more stock and add to the big bowl

Some years I add lemon or orange zest to the stuffing.


ETA:
Almost forgot! Some years I reduce the stock with white wine and use that instead of just plain stock
(It is not uncommon for the turkey/stuffing/gravy to have 2-3 bottles of wine...)

 

[diamondringlover]

Mine is pretty simple I get seasoned croutons, I use the broth from the turkey or no salt chicken stock and I add butter, onions and celery mix it all together and pop it in the oven

 

[pandabee]

Mine is cubed toasted French and seasoned cornbread, and your basic aromatic and stock mixture for moisture. No celery in mine though...hubs hates it so I go without!

 

[ame]

I am the lazy loser. Lol I noticed no one else does the stove top!

 

[Gypsy]

Ahh... so I came back to report! The toasted pinenuts were perfect. Much better than pecans I've used in times past.

I also forgot onion and did leek only, and it was perfect. No more crying when making stuffing. I also cubed the sausage largely and that worked out better as well.

Everyone raved about the stuffing.

 

[Gypsy]

I am the lazy loser. Lol I noticed no one else does the stove top!

When I first started cooking Thanksgiving for our family... I was 14, I think. I used Stovetop the first couple years. I doctored it by adding smoked chicken apple sausage, celery, onion and dried cranberries- all I did was throw all of that into the pot with the butter (amount from box directions) and sautee it for like 10 minutes. Then I followed the box directions (substituting low sodium broth for the water). Make a world of difference, and no one knew it was stove top. I have never used water though, low sodium chicken broth is MUCH better in stovetop, and trader joes has some of the best of that. Seriously it adds maybe 20 minutes time (10 minutes to chop onion and celery and the smoked sausage-- which is already cooked) and fixes the Stovetop right up. If you really want to get fancy, add some extra dried sage and thyme to it at as well, right at the start.

Super easy.

 

[ame]

I am the lazy loser. Lol I noticed no one else does the stove top!

When I first started cooking Thanksgiving for our family... I was 14, I think. I used Stovetop the first couple years. I doctored it by adding smoked chicken apple sausage, celery, onion and dried cranberries- all I did was throw all of that into the pot with the butter (amount from box directions) and sautee it for like 10 minutes. Then I followed the box directions (substituting low sodium broth for the water). Make a world of difference, and no one knew it was stove top. I have never used water though, low sodium chicken broth is MUCH better in stovetop, and trader joes has some of the best of that. Seriously it adds maybe 20 minutes time (10 minutes to chop onion and celery and the smoked sausage-- which is already cooked) and fixes the Stovetop right up. If you really want to get fancy, add some extra dried sage and thyme to it at as well, right at the start.

Super easy.

Actually I do use broth in place of butter and water...so I guess I do snazz it up that way...lol but that's the extent of my doctoring it. Which is strange since I doctor EVERYTHING else.

 

[aljdewey]

Toasted and cubed Italian Bread, LIBERAL amounts of Bell's Seasoning, sauteed onions and celery in obscenely luxurious butter, eggs, milk, chicken broth, white wine, chopped sage, salt, pepper, cooked crumbled sweet Italian sausage, chopped Bartlett pears, and chopped pecans.

I cook an enormous batch (2.5 loaves of italian bread as the base), so I cook it on the side in it's own huge roasting pan.

I am *legendary* for my stuffing, and it's one of the things that epitomizes Thanksgiving for me.

Hmm. Bells seasoning. That's a good idea. I always use try to fresh herbs, but this would simplify. I like the addition of the white wine and the pears.

Question though, what does the egg and milk to. And what is your process. THANKS!

The eggs and milk add depth and richness to the stuffing while balancing each other.

Process:

I get fresh sausage links (not the breakfast kind, the kind you'd make sausage, onion and pepper sandwiches with) - remove from casing and saute/crumble in a little EVOO until cooked through - deglaze the pan with a bit of chablis and scrape the brown bits to concentrate the flavor. Cook off the wine, remove and set aside.

Then I toast the bread. I'm Italian, so I cook as though I'm feeding everyone in my city - LARGE scale. I'm normally doing 2-3 loaves of Italian bread, so I cut that into slices and toast on cookie sheets (easier than multiple rounds of toaster oven). Once toasted, I let them cool enough to handle and then cube them.

Because I cook large scale, I do both of these steps the night before.

Morning of, I toss chopped onions and celery into saute pan with generous butter and cook until softened - then I pour over the bread cubes and mix well. Then I add in eggs, milk, wine, Bell's, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. From there, I keep adding chix stock until it's pretty wet and bread gets broken down. When I hit desired consistency, I add in liberal chopped sage, crumbled sausage, chopped pecans (or whatever nuts you like), and chopped pears. I taste and correct as needed - then I spray the roaster pan with nonstick spray and put stuffing in. I dot the top with butter and then cook until it hits 165.

I normally get this done early in the morning and then hold it on warm in a crockpot until dinner.

 

[Gypsy]

Cool, thanks Allison.

 

[aljdewey]

Cool, thanks Allison.

You're welcome.

Oh.....and it's just plain ol' Alj. (Allison retired.....hehe)