Thanksgiving Stuffing (and as of 2017 Homemade Desserts)

[Wendy31]

I always find it interesting to see variations on dressing from region to region or even in the same region.

My mother and grandmother made a white bread dressing with celery, onions, broth from the turkey and lots of sage.

First Thanksgiving with DW's family, I was shocked and appalled to see they put sliced boiled eggs in their cornbread dressing (and in the gravy, too). I despise boiled eggs and even if I didn't I don't think I could get around big slices of them in the dressing. So no dressing for me, which was a little like being punished.

So now our compromise dressing is basically her family's cornbread dressing but with no eggs. (And I probably go a little heavier on the sage than DW would prefer.)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my mom's traditional southern cornbread dressing.

And I too was kinda shocked the first time I had the opportunity to taste my MIL's dressing & discovered her dressing had chopped boiled eggs in it.

 

[MataHari22]

I really didn't like my ex MIL's cooking, but I did like her stuffing. The only thing I miss about that family. Lol

I think this year I'm going to try one I made a few years ago that was good. It was made with Pepperidge farm stuffing cubes, butter, chicken stock, onions, garlic, celery, chestnuts (if I can get them again), little bit of apple and I made it in a slow cooker with a chicken thigh that cooked on top of it. It came out really good. It soaked up those chicken juices as it cooked. I hope I can find the recipe again. I don't usually use recipes, but this can be tricky with the crockpot. Don't want it too wet or to dry....

 

[BDL]

I really didn't like my ex MIL's cooking, but I did like her stuffing. The only thing I miss about that family. Lol

I think this year I'm going to try one I made a few years ago that was good. It was made with Pepperidge farm stuffing cubes, butter, chicken stock, onions, garlic, celery, chestnuts (if I can get them again), little bit of apple and I made it in a slow cooker with a chicken thigh that cooked on top of it. It came out really good. It soaked up those chicken juices as it cooked. I hope I can find the recipe again. I don't usually use recipes, but this can be tricky with the crockpot. Don't want it too wet or to dry....

I actually made a version of this last yr, minus the apples and chestnuts. It wasn't by choice mind you. I love my mom's sausage/potato stuffing and we had plenty of that. But we wake up Thanksgiving morning last yr, and my sister-in-law brings up the point that my mother-in-law hadn't bought enough Stove Top (chicken flavor) stuffing. My MIL was still asleep, and my wife and SIL are freaking out. I get in the car and begin my quest for Stove Top (wife's family are very particular to brands). But, because it was Turkey Day, the grocery stores weren't open, or open yet. And I'm pressed for time, because the stuffing has to get inside the bird (I got A LOT of push back when I recommended my mom's stuffing go in the bird). So I head for the only place that A) might be open, and B) might have Stove Top. So I pull into the Walgreen's parking lot. They just opened, and there's no Stove Top. What they did have was plain Pepperidge Farm stuffing. So I grab that and a box of chicken stock.

I get home and my wife and sister are despondent. I tell them what I got, and they agree "IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME!" So, I 1st make the 1 packet of the Stove Top-Chicken. When it's done I take a nibble to get the flavor. Then, BOOM, time to get to work. Get the stock into a pot. Get it going with some butter and all the seasonings I can think of from my MIL's spice drawer. Chop 1 stock of celery that was reserved for an app. plate. Grab an onion out of the fridge, chop it finely and sweat it with the chopped celery. Once they are sweated, I add to the stock concoction, stirred and then add the bag of P. Farm. When all was said and done, I have my wife and SIL try the P. Farm and the Stove Top side by side. And then they both gave me the best compliment ever. "Wow!!! Your's is almost as good as Stove Top." (ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH... Cue the Price Is Right 'fail' music).

But, we now had plenty of stuffing, and I have a story. "How the BDL Saved Thanksgiving"

 

[BDL]

Bump

 

[Disneylover99]

I really like the butterball turkeys that are cooked from frozen and pre stuffed.

 

[BDL]

I've posted my potato/sausage stuffing in the pages of this thread, now I'm going to include my dessert.

The dessert that gets my family and friends excited is pecan pie. I learned this recipe from the Alton Brown - Good Eats Thanksgiving episode. The recipe included somethings I have never heard of (like golden syrup) and is a bit time consuming, but once people get a taste of it, they ask "when's the next time you're making it?" And, as a by product, during the process of making the pie, you have to make some candied pecans. And I learned, that if I overmake those, it makes a great little grabby snack for before and after dinner. And my older relatives tell me that the old ice cream shops (mostly Brigham's) used to put these over their sundaes. And that is a great compliment.

 

[BDL]

With 2 week til the big day, I thought I’d bump this thread. Hope anyone looking for ideas can find them here

 

[BDL]

So close to Turkey Day, I'll give this a

BUMP