Eatables

What are holiday meals without stuffing/dressing? I have to say, for my first time making homemade stuffing, this particular recipe came out great! The flavours mixed well together and was quite moist but not mushy. Since my turkey was in the oven all day I wanted to make this on the stove top so I could make it while the turkey was roasting. It only took about an hour and half to make total so it worked out well. Feel free to leave your comments/suggestions in the comments.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: approx. 1 hour
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

• Approximately 8-10 cups french bread, cubed
• 1-1 1/2 cups sausage meat (I used Little Smokies, but turkey or pork work well here)
• 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries or raisins
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1-1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Cubed and chop all ingredients.
2. Toast walnuts in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes (or until you can smell them).
3. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan and add cubed bread, coating in the butter. Brown them on each side, but make sure not to burn them. The bread should preferably be at least a day old to dry the bread out; this will help them to toast better and keep from becoming mushy.
4. In a stock pot, saute onions and celery on medium high heat with 3 Tbsp butter. Saute for around five minutes or until onions are translucent.
5. In separate pan, brown sausage. Once onions are cooked through, add sausage to the stock pot.
6. Add bread cubes, pieces, walnuts, cranberries (or raisins), and apples cubes. Once mixed, add the stock. You want to keep the stuffing moist but not too mushy. Mix in spices and seasonings.
7. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to low. Let the stuffing simmer for an hour or so. Continually check to see if it needs more stock, and stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Change it up! This recipe is highly flexible. Add, subtract, or substitute to your likely. Try out different breads, such as wheat, sourdough, or potato bread. You can also add a splash of Chardonnay or other wines to add a little extra flavour. Another way to change up the flavour is with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice. You can also add rosemary or garlic. The list goes on for how to change the flavourings in the recipe.

How about you? What’s your favourite ingredient in your holiday stuffing/dressing? What kind of stuffing does your family make? Share your thoughts in the comments.

1 Comment »