I got an outrageous number of compliments on this year’s stuffing, so Becky browbeat me into writing down what I did.
“Stuffing” is kind of a misnomer cause I didn’t cook any of it inside of our turkey this time. I have done with similar recipes in the past, so don’t be afraid to pack it in there if you want. But this recipe results in nice moist stuffing even without a bird cooked around it, so don’t feel like you have to.
This recipe is loosely based on the one in the big orange Betty Crocker cookbook, so it’s not rocket science. All quantities are pretty approximate. Don’t obsess.
jeffy’s Turkey Stuffing
- Most of two loaves of bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 1 bunch of celery, thinly sliced, little leafy bits included
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic (I actually just scooped a couple teaspoons out of a jar of minced garlic. Horrors.)
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoons dried sage
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2-3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper (Betty calls for 1/2 tsp. Betty’s boring.)
- 2-3 cups stock (This year I made mine by simmering the giblets from the bird in a pot of water for a couple hours (do not put the giblets in the stuffing. Yuck!) I’ve used chicken broth in the past to good effect. You could probably use a veggie broth if you wanted to.)
Melt butter in a large pan. Add celery, onions, garlic and spices. Let it bubble away gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion and celery are soft and translucent.
Drizzle that stuff over bread cubes in the biggest container you’ve got. Toss until all bread is coated.
Stuff some in a bird if desired. Pack the rest in a big casserole dish.
Pour the stock over it.
Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven for an hour or so. If you cook it too long, the outside fringes get crispy which is just an added bonus if you ask me.
This makes enough to feed eight people, plus enough to send leftovers home with them and still have enough left to put on sandwiches and leftover turkey plates until most of the turkey’s gone. We like stuffing around here.
