The Stuffing Recipe

Amateur home chef here :) This is more like a cooking diary than a collection of recipes. I try to keep notes about what works and what doesn’t. Yes, I like shortcuts. I enjoy cooking but usually don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

Or dressing. Whatever you want to call it.

2 loaves stuffing bread, or unsliced white bread (1 lb loaves)

1 6 oz packet Stove Top (or any dry packaged) chicken stuffing

4 celery ribs, diced small

1 large sweet onion (Vadalia or the like), diced small

Salt

Pepper

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1½ tsp poultry seasoning

1 stick of butter

3 to 4 eggs (depending on size), lightly beaten

½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Chicken broth, 3 to 4 cups (I use Better Than Bouillon)

Cooking spray

Tear or slice bread loaves into roughly 1-inch (or smaller) cubes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On two rimmed baking sheets, arrange bread in a single layer. Bake until dry but not browned, about 14 minutes, tossing bread and rotating sheets halfway through. (To store, let cool completely and keep in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature, up to 1 week.)

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. Add celery and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and poultry seasoning, and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to bowl with bread. Add packet of instant stuffing and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, 3 cups broth, and parsley. Add to bread mixture and toss to combine. If stuffing seems too dry, add another ½ to 1 cup broth.

Spray baking dishes with cooking spray. Spoon stuffing into baking dishes. Spray foil with cooking spray and cover stuffing. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes or so, until top is lightly browned. Be careful not to over-dry.

If you want to stuff a turkey, reserve 4 cups unbaked stuffing to put inside, and bake the rest separately. Do not overstuff. Adjust amount reserved depending on turkey size. Remaining stuffing should fit in one 9 x 13 baking dish.

½ cup fits nicely in a cornish hen.

If you've done it right, the stuffing baked in its own dish will look freakishly like chicken when you cut into it. Don't be afraid.

I would really like to try this using 1 loaf rye or pumpernickel sometime.

If cutting this recipe in half, half a packet of Stove Top is about 1 ¼ cups. Take it all out of the packet to break up the seasoning powder clumps before portioning out...yum?

If drying the bread in the oven toaster oven, take the temperature all the way down to 200 and watch carefully. 200 might even be too high, so watch it. Chop up the veg and prepare the spices while it’s baking so you can babysit it.

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