Anyone want to save my guests from my usual dry Thanksgiving stuffing casserole?

[Mrs Twain]

For Thanksgiving, I make stuffing in a 9x13 casserole dish (since I'm too afraid of the germ factor for stuffing inside the turkey). The problem is that it is always dry and nobody likes it. Stuffing is such a classic for Thanksgiving, and it makes me kind of sad that no one wants to eat mine.

 

Do any of you have a nice, moist 9x13 casserole stuffing that you would like to share? :confused:

[Mrs Mungo]

The day before I make sweet cornbread and rough chop it. I also rough chop a baguette.

 

I chop up a white onion and several stalks of celery so that there's an even amount. I cook them in a stick of butter. I add in the breads, a cup of evaporated milk, 2-3 cups of chicken broth and 3 or 4 eggs (depending on how moist it is seeming), salt, white pepper and rubbed or fresh sage. Bake at 375 for about an hour or until browned on top.

[gaillardia]

Mrs Mungo's recipe looks very tasty.:drool5:

The night before Thanksgiving, I take the neck and giblets out of the turkey. I don't like to give everything a name, but there are two or three other "parts" stuffed in the turkey, ya know? I put the neck, etc. in two-four cups of water and bring to a slight boil, simmer for at least 45 minutes and keep checking the level and adding a little water if needed.

Allow meats to cool on a plate for half hour or so. Then I chop most of the little organs, one is rather tough and hard to chop. I pull the meat off the neck, (but don't use the skin).

Chop celery, 3-4 full sticks, and one small onion. Since we have vegetarians in the family, I also use a few mushrooms. Melt enough butter to saute the celery and onion in, add a good bit of sage and thyme to that while it sautes.

In the meantime I have kids ripping bread into smallish pieces. I've tried using wheat bread but it works better with white, so I mix it 50/50. Usually I use two loaves of bread, but sometimes more.

You said your dressing is always too dry but I do let the bread dry out some while I'm doing other stuff.

I mix it all together and save the liquid from cooking the giblets as the moistener for the dressing. I form it into balls, smaller than a tennis ball, bigger than ping pong. You can rub butter on the inside of your casserole dish so they won't stick.

I cook them at 375 covered for 40 minutes and another 15 to 20 minutes uncovered.

This is such a traditional dish in my family, it was my mom's thing. I would feel weird to not do it, but the kids love it.

It is easily modified for vegetarians and a separate dish made for them. I just use water to moisten it.

[Lilymax]

My recipe is similar to Mrs. Mungo's, except instead of a baguette, I use a dozen buttermilk biscuits along with the cornbread, and all chicken broth instead of a combination of evaporated milk and broth (but I just might try it with milk this year!). I also use about twice the amount of onion as celery.

 

It's always very moist and people just gobble it up!

 

Great...now I want some! :tongue_smilie:

[MSNative]

My recipe is similar to Mrs. Mungo's, except instead of a baguette, I use a dozen buttermilk biscuits along with the cornbread, and all chicken broth instead of a combination of evaporated milk and broth (but I just might try it with milk this year!). I also use about twice the amount of onion as celery.

 

It's always very moist and people just gobble it up!

 

Great...now I want some! :tongue_smilie:

 

Food Network has a stuffing tutorial of sorts. Tons of varieties on stuffing. http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/thanksgiving-stuffing-and-dressing/index.html

[Brigitte]

Adding chopped mushrooms will help with the moisture. I have to admit to still stuffing my turkey. No one has gotten sick yet. :)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Alessandra]

I cook about a pound of Italian sausage (the kind that comes in one big piece, get it brown, take it out of the pan, then cook some minced onion and celery. Add some stock and some breadcrumbs or toasted bread pieces to soak up the broth. Then I put everything back in the pan and add chestnuts. (I use a whole jar, my mother actually roasted & peeled fresh ones -- just make sure you don't skimp on the chestnuts. Sometimes I add a finely chopped apple.

[KatieJ]

A totally fool proof stuffing is something like Stove Top. I know, I know, but I think it's pretty good for a boxed item and it's brain dead easy.

 

This has become my stuffing as well. However, I ramp it up with cooked sausage, celery and onions which you can prepare the day before. The day of, I just heat the water and butter according to package directions, mix in my precooked items along with the box stuff and put it in a casserole. It only needs 45 mins or so in the oven. I do mine in the toaster/convection oven. My family loves it and well, it's easy!

[flyingiguana]

Do you cover it while baking?

 

I use hot water to moisten it if we don't have enough turkey broth (but then the bread crumbs need to be salted). And I often heat it up (covered) in the microwave instead of in the oven. This keeps it moister, if there's enough liquid to start with.

[Mrs Twain]

Wow! Thank you for all of the recipes and advice. I will be doing some research.

Tempted as I am to stuff the bird, that as been ruled out since we have a guest who had an organ transplant and who is on immunosuppressants.

 

Do any of you make the stuffing a day ahead and refrigerate until time for baking? I am usually in a tizzy over the mashed potatoes and rolls right before the meal, so I don't have time to be in a tizzy about the stuffing.

[JessReplanted]

I've used this recipe for the past two years, and I think it's delicious.

(In my family growing up we only used Stovetop).

 

I also add cranberries & maybe walnuts.

 

 

 

Stuffing

• 1 (1 pound) loaf sliced white bread (french bread)

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine

• 1 onion, chopped

• 4 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 cup chicken broth

 

Directions

1. Let bread slices air dry for 1 to 2 hours, then cut into cubes.

2. In a Dutch oven, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Cook onion and celery until soft. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bread cubes until evenly coated. Moisten with chicken broth; mix well.

3. bake in a buttered casserole dish at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes.

[KatieJ]

Wow! Thank you for all of the recipes and advice. I will be doing some research.

Tempted as I am to stuff the bird, that as been ruled out since we have a guest who had an organ transplant and who is on immunosuppressants.

 

Do any of you make the stuffing a day ahead and refrigerate until time for baking? I am usually in a tizzy over the mashed potatoes and rolls right before the meal, so I don't have time to be in a tizzy about the stuffing.

 

You can do all the prep work the day before and even cook up your onions, celery and sausage. Have your bread cubed and in a big bowl and then it just takes a few minutes to throw it all together and dump into a casserole. I am thinking it would turn out better if you don't mix it all the day before. The bread might get too soggy.

[livingnlearning]

Bake it covered and make sure it's meatloaf consistancy with chicken/turkey broth. That's my method anyway!

 

If I don't do the whole thing homemade I do the Pepperidge Farms mixes, at least two. We love our stuffing!

[tearose]

My family loves stuffing, and I have to make extra on the side because the turkey can never hold enough. Last year, I finally found a recipe from Cooks Illustrated magazine that makes the stuffing taste as though it were baked in the bird. The trick is to cover the top of the stuffing with turkey wings that have been poked full of holes and browned. Cover the whole thing to bake, and the drippings from the wings make a huge difference compared to baking with stock alone. I can dig out the actual recipe if anyone wants it

[KathyBC]

I've been making the Betty Crocker casserole bread stuffing recipe for years. There are rarely leftovers. Yup, you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it. It just needs a bit more time in the oven.

 

Cook 1 1/2 c. chopped celery with leaves and 3/4 c. finely chopped onion in 3/4 c. melted margarine or butter for about 2 min. Stir in 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. dried sage, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add 9 cups bread cubes. Some years I've added 3 c. chopped apples and 3/4 c. raisins. Another year we tried 3/4 c. cranberries and 3/4 tsp. sugar. Place in ungreased casserole dish, cover and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes or until hot.

[jenangelcat]

I just use a basic bread, onion and celery recipe with a little more liquid then necessary and cook it in a lidded casserole dish.

[PRTGSw2K]

We've used a similar recipe to this in my family for years:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=6865385

[DusksAngel]

I use this recipe. I don't actually make them into muffins though, sometimes I don't bake it at all (if I'm just adding to a stuffing mix like stove top) or I just put it in a 13x9.

 

Once you find a good starter recipe, then you can start playing with it (adding new ingredients, adding more or less spices, etc).

 

PS Sausage added to the above recipe is really yummy!

[pink&bluemommy]

I really like the america's test kitchen stuffing/dressing recipe. I do the variation with apples and bacon, can't wait!

[LizzyBee]

I make mine like my mother, which means I don't use a recipe. But the key to making it not dry is to add enough chicken or turkey broth.

[pink&bluemommy]

This is the one just make sure to do the apple bacon variation. http://www.foodreference.com/html/classic-bsst-807.html

 

I really like the america's test kitchen stuffing/dressing recipe. I do the variation with apples and bacon, can't wait!

[ChrisB]

My family loves stuffing, and I have to make extra on the side because the turkey can never hold enough. Last year, I finally found a recipe from Cooks Illustrated magazine that makes the stuffing taste as though it were baked in the bird. The trick is to cover the top of the stuffing with turkey wings that have been poked full of holes and browned. Cover the whole thing to bake, and the drippings from the wings make a huge difference compared to baking with stock alone. I can dig out the actual recipe if anyone wants it

Would love it!

[tearose]

From last Nov/Dec's Cooks Illustrated:

 

Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs

2 lb hearty white sandwich bread, cut into 0.5 inch cubes (~16 cups)

3 lb turkey wings, divided at joints

2 tsp vegetable oil

6 tbsp butter, plus extra for baking dish

1 large onion, chopped fine (~1.5 c)

3 celery ribs, chopped fine (~1.5 c)

2 tsp table salt

2 tbsp minced fresh thyme

2 tbsp minced fresh sage

1 tsp ground black pepper

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2.5 c low-sodium chicken broth

3 large eggs

 

--Spread bread onto two baking sheets and bake at 250 until edges have dried, stirring several times during baking. Transfer to bowl and turn up oven to 375

--Use tip of paring knife to poke 10-15 holes in each wing segment. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add wings in single layer and cook 4-6 minutes each side (until golden brown). Transfer wings to a bowl and set aside

--Return skillet to med-high heat, add butter. When foaming subsides, add onion, celery, and 0.5 tsp salt. Cook 7-9 minutes stirring occasionally until softened but not browned. Add thyme, sage, and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Add 1 c. broth and bring to simmer, using wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom of pan. Add vegetable mixture to bowl with dried bread cubes.

--Grease 13 by 9 dish with butter. In a med. bowl whisk eggs, 1.5 c broth, 1.5 tsp salt, and any juices from the wings until combined. Add egg/broth mixture and parsley to bread mixture and toss gently to combine; transfer to baking dish. Arrange wings on top of stuffing, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and place baking dish on rimmed baking sheet.

--Bake on lower-middle rack until thickest part of wings registers 175 degrees, 60-75 minutes. Remove foil and transfer wings to plate to reserve for another use. Using fork, gently fluff stuffing. Let rest 5 min. before serving.

 

(My family likes a lot of celery and onion, so my only change is to add quite a bit more of those two ingredients. It reheats pretty well, although I think that it's best right away. Since finding this recipe, I've also occasionally served it for regular dinners with cranberry sauce and a vegetable, and we just eat the meat from the wings.)

 

This is actually one of the variations; the other two are Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Dried Cherries, and Pecans and Bread Stuffing with Leeks, Bacon, and Apple. For the first, use 1 lb bulk sausage and brown it in the skillet after browning the wings. Transfer to paper towel-lined dish and set aside. Then reduce butter to 4 tbsp and add to rendered fat. Omit parsley and stir in 1 c. dried cherries and 1 c. toasted and finely chopped pecans with the broth egg mixture. For the second, sub 0.75 lb bacon (cut into 0.5-inch pieces) for sausage and cook until crisp. Like sausage, set aside on paper-towel lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat, then add 4 tbsp butter and continue with recipe, substituting 2 leeks (white & light green parts sliced thin) for the onion, 3 granny smith apples (peeled and cut into 0.25 inch dice) for the cherries, and omitting pecans.

 

The recipe also gives the alternative of using 2 lb chicken wings (increase broth to 3 cups, reduce butter to 2 tbsp, cook stuffing for only 60 minutes), but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as using the turkey wings. Not worth the time, in my opinion.

[Mrs Mungo]

Personally, I leave mine meat-free because there always seems to be a random vegetarian in the mix at my house. Bill will probably say that makes me a Philistine, lol.

[Parker Martin]

If it comes out dry, you can always add some broth to it and stir it up.

[CalicoKat]

For Thanksgiving, I make stuffing in a 9x13 casserole dish (since I'm too afraid of the germ factor for stuffing inside the turkey). The problem is that it is always dry and nobody likes it. Stuffing is such a classic for Thanksgiving, and it makes me kind of sad that no one wants to eat mine.

 

Do any of you have a nice, moist 9x13 casserole stuffing that you would like to share? :confused:

 

Stuff the stuffing in right before you put the turkey in the oven/cooker. I usually get up early and make the stuffing because I put in the gibblets. The smell of cooking gibblets sauteed in butter & the sage is one of those traditional smells for me. If you stuff right before the stove there's no need to worry about the germs. And the turkey juices will make your stuffing tops!

[Mrs Twain]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I'm sure my guests will thank you, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Miss Cornelia Snook]

Back in the gluten-eating days, we adored Stovetop Stuffing!

 

Still do adore it, in fact. From afar. Sniff...

[Finnella]

A totally fool proof stuffing is something like Stove Top. I know, I know, but I think it's pretty good for a boxed item and it's brain dead easy.

 

We make lots of things from scratch for Thanksgiving, but we use Stove Top so we have some stuffing on hand for the people who like stuffing. It's not my cousin's famous oyster stuffing, but it's good, reliable, and easy.

[OrganicAnn]

I saw a recipe for a stuffing made from Grits it looked totally different from most stuffing.

 

I'm sure if you googled grits stuffing you would find the recipe.

 

If they don't like your stuffing because it is too dry, why don't you just add (chicken, turkey, whatever) broth to it?

[luvbnhome2]

The main thing is to have enough liquid-but not tooo much! The way I can tell that it is enough(and I use homemade chicken stock) is that after you mix it well and let is stand for a few minutes-the liquid begins to slightly pool on top. Make sure and add some butter as well. Probably about 1/4-1/2 cup for the amount you need. This is unless you use the turkey drippings from the cooked turkey (which to me is way better than butter) because both will make it too greasy. I also put my onions and celery (chopped pretty finely) in raw, cover with foil, and bake til veggies are tender. Remove the foil and let cook til it is browning nicely. I think that this also helps with the moistness. Also, make sure to let your cornbread/bread dry out enough. This will keep it from getting gummy! HTH!