How do you make your stuffing?

[pas2]

How do you make your stuffing?

My family always fried it ontop of the stove, never in the bird. DH family stuffs the bird. Tried this but it didn't come out well. Also tried the baked in a casserole with no luck either, always gets burnt. Can someone help me with stuffing tips?

 

[bananiem]

I use the recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook and stuff it in the bird. Then I cook it in an oven bag.
The rest of the year I tend to use Stove Top.

 

[piratesmate]

Potato Filling

In a small amount of butter, fry diced potatoes until tender. (I've also used the frozen "hash browns" - takes less time!) Opt - fry a bit of onion & celery - diced - with the potatoes.

Remove from heat & stir in bread cubes - either from fresh bread or the crouton type available in bags this time of year, but unseasoned. Cool completely.

Beat 1 or 2 eggs with ground celery seed (or celery salt), parsley & any other spice that sounds good. Combine with potatoes & bread.

If it's going in the bird - I only add about a cup of liquid. If you add too much, it gets really sticky. If into a casserole, I make sure it's good & moist. For the liquid, I usually just add bouillon to water and/or a bit of milk, but if I have chicken or turkey broth in the freezer or even canned "College Inn" broth I'll use that. Combine until moist.

If I'm baking in the casserole, I usually cover the filling with the "heels" from a couple loaves of bread - with the crust up. Try to completely cover the casserole to avoid spaces where the moisture will "leak out" & the filling will brown/turn crispy. If you're not worried about the extra fat, buttering the bread also helps. Cover the whole thing tightly with tin foil.

I forget how long I bake it outside the bird, but think it's probably between 20 & 30 minutes.

Deb

PS - Last year I fried some diced apple with the potatoes & then added some dried cherries with the bread cubes as a modification of some regional recipes I saw on GMA. We really liked it. I'll probably do it this way again.

 

[My~Rumbly~Tumbly]

I confess.... STOVE TOP. Yes, I said it, stove top- on the stove and not in the bird. Everybody in my family prefers the taste of stove top to any homemade stuffing (we've tried several variations and it's not worth the effort when no one is eating it). I make LOTS of other side dishes from scratch- that is what is fun about Thanksgiving. But not the stuffing.

 

[pas2]

Piratesmate - think I will try your recipe, just always have trouble with just how moist is "moist". I can tell you cook "dutchy" too!

 

[piratesmate]

I can tell you cook "dutchy" too!

Is there any other way?!? Nearly all of my recipes from my grandmother say somewhere in them " 'til it looks right" or "knead 'til your arms get tired" or some other phrase along those lines! Say now, pas, do you cook your rice until the water's "all"?

Seriously, "moist enough" when you're not cooking it in the bird - it's not going to get any more moist when you cook it. Keep adding liquid a little at a time - after the first cup - stirring in between.

If you think you've goofed & it's too moist, you can skip the bread - or poke holes in the foil to let some of the steam out.

Worst case scenario - if it's too dry, open a jar of Heinz turkey gravy & stir it in before serving. Transfer to a veggie bowl & no one will ever know! In fact, they'll probably ask for your recipe.

Oh - if you try the recipe with the dried cherries, make sure you soak them for a bit first. They'll absorb liquid too, so you'll want it moister than otherwise.

Deb

 

[MICKEY M0USE]

Here in the south, we make cornbread dressing instead of stuffing. We make it oven like a casserole and it is always moist; even my yankee DH prefers it to his mother's stuffing (don't tell, though! ). I can get the receipe from my Mom if anyone's interested in trying something new.

 

[Lainy67]

We are from the south, and also do the cornbread dressing casserole type. I know it has celery and onions sauteed with salt, pepper and butter til tender. Cornbread croutons, sage, chicken broth but that is all I know. We don't really follow a recipe. Just mix together til yummy then bake.

 

[Peter Pan Fan]

Mickey Mouse - I would love that recipe if you have time to post it.

Thanks!

 

[pas2]

this thread is making me really hungry! I would love to try the cornbread stuffing recipe so bring it on girls. I can't boil water without a recipe.

Piratsmate - my grandmas recipes say add a "cup" of this or that and they would never turn out right until we realized the cup she used was a HUGE ole coffe mug! lol

 

[Mamu]

I actually make 2 the one we grew up with in my house and the stuffing DH grew up with.

<center>Spinach Stuffing

1 package chopped spinach
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
fresh grated bread to bind (about 1/2 loaf)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute pork in pan. Add spinach. Cool. Add the egg, the cheese and grated bread.

I bake in a oven dish because I stuff the bird with a bread and sausage stuffing.

Note: My DH is not crazy about this stuffing. Last year while in Italy we had supper at a relative's house. Not my relative DH's. Out came roasted chicken and this stuffing. My French Father cooked Italian.

Sausage and Bread Stuffing

1 Package sausage meat
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped mushroons
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 half loaf fresh bread (grated)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chopped sage 1-2 leaves (optional)

Cook sausage meat, add onions, celery and mushrooms. Saute till cooked. Cool. Add eggs, cheese and chicken broth. Add grated bread mixing well. If stuffing is dry you can add more broth. If you have a large bird just add more bread and broth.

 

[MICKEY M0USE]

I'll call my Mom today.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Another Southerner here that makes cornbread dressing. My sister started trying the stuffing in the bird after she got married (husband's family always did it that way) and I just can't get used to us. It's dressing for us.

Lisa

 

[Wagamama]

wow!!! these all sound so yummy!!!! does anyone make oyster stuffing? I had it at a friends house once and it was YUMMY!

 

[pas2]

My parents would like to try the oyster stuffing, they always have scalloped oysters for thanksgiving. Anyone have that recipe too?

 

[piratesmate]

This is my favorite thing to have at holiday meals! YUM!

I looked up a recipe, because this is one of those things that I just dump stuff together. Just be aware that I can't vouch for the measures!

Scalloped Oysters
1 pint (~24) oysters
1/3 c butter, melted
4 c crushed crackers - OTC or Oysterettes
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 c oyster juice and milk

Mix butter with crackers. Combine salt & pepper. Alternate layers of crumbs & oysters, sprinkle with salt/pepper mix. (Don't worry about using all of the salt/pepper.) End with crackers on top. Pour the liquid over the top. If it looks very dry, add a little more milk. Let stand at least 1 hour before baking so the flavors blend. Bake at 375 for 30 min - or 325 or 50 min. Serves 6.

I often buy extra oyster liquor (just the juice, no oysters) for additional flavor. One year I didn't bother with the oysters because they were too expensive & just used the liquor.

Also, I noticed the recipe said to cut the oysters into halves or thirds. We always did them whole - but sometimes the oysters are too large & . . . well, they're kind of squishy. I think cutting them would be a good idea.

 

[MICKEY M0USE]

1 package of Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
3/4 cup chopped onions (my mom uses the frozen kind)
1 cup chopped or sliced celery
3 chopped hard boiled eggs
2 tsp poultry seasoning
2-3 cans of chicken broth

Follow instructions to make cornbread with no sugar. Crumble cornbread. Add other ingredients. Pour enough chicken broth to make mixture the consistency of layer cake batter. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

My mother sautes the celery before adding because picky children do not like crunchy celery in the dressing (OK, it was me!), but you don't have to. She is not sure how much broth to add, but she's sure it's supposed to look like cake batter before baking.

Good luck! I would be interested in hearing if anyone tries this out and the results!

 

[webmomom]

I always make Oyster Stuffing. I place it in the neck of the Turkey.

As I am making my regular stuffing I add a small amount of chicken broth. I take some of this stuffing and place it in the neck of the bird. When I get the amount that I need, I remove it to a bowl. I buy oysters that are in the container at the seafood department. If I could always get fresh oysters I would use them, but most of the time I can;t. I cut the oyster into bit size pieces and add them to the stuffing as well as the oyser liquid. Mix and place in the turkey. Then I finish the other stuffing and put in the breast cavity.

If I don't make this I always get yelled at. The actually want me to reverse this and make the oyster stuffing in the breast cavity and regular in the neck cavity.

 

[disykat]

I bake it in a casserole dish. I actually like the crunchy top and sides of the pan best.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

For all of those Southerners in the know
here is my Mom's cornbread dressing recipe. So good!

Martha's cornbread dressing:

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) whole chicken
10 cups crumbled cornbread
8 biscuits, crumbled
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
8 eggs, beaten

Directions
1 Place chicken in a small pot with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.
2 Remove chicken from pot, set aside to cool. Remove skin and bones; chop meat and save for dressing. Strain, and reserve broth.
3 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4 In a large bowl, combine cornbread, biscuits, chicken soup, onion, celery, salt, pepper, sage and eggs. Stir well. 30 minutes before baking, add a desired amount of reserved chicken and enough broth to soak dressing. Place dressing in two 4 quart casserole dishes.
5 Bake for 30 minutes or until top is browned and center is firm.

One hint my Mom gives though, is to chop the celery and onion pretty fine. Food processor helps. You get the taste but no really crunchy pieces. Also, I like to add chopped pecans occasionally for an added treat.
Kim