Thanksgiving Dressings/Stuffing

In a large bowl, combine bread, water chestnuts and seasonings; set aside.

In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until browned; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Add butter to drippings; sauté apples, celery and onion until tender. Add to bread mixture. Stir in sausage and enough broth to moisten. Spoon into a greased 3-quart baking dish; cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 10 minutes. Or use to stuff a turkey; bake according to recipe.

Yields 10 to 12 servings (about 11 cups).

Favorite Turkey Dressing

1 large loaf thin bread, toasted
1 (8 ounce) bag Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Dressing
1 pound hot Italian sausage
4 onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 cup water
1 tablespoon salt& Pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sage

Cook sausage and onion together until done. Crumble sausage. Do not drain.

Cook celery until tender in 4 cups salted water. DO NOT DRAIN WATER!

Crumble toast. Mix in Pepperidge Farm Dressing. Pour sausage-onion mixture with dripping over the toast. Add seasonings. Add celery and hot celery water to moisten toast mixture. You may add more hot water according to how moist you like the dressing. Stir well. Put into a large casserole. Refrigerate.

It is best if made a day ahead. Bake at 350 degrees F until slightly browned and bubbly.

Grandma's Southern Dressing

4 cups day-old breadcrumbs
4 cups crumbled cornbread
4 cups crumbled biscuits
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2-4 cups chicken broth (or more if needed)

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

NOTE. This can be made ahead of time by mixing everything together, placing it in the well-greased baking dish, covering with foil, and refrigerating.

To bake, remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for about 45 minutes.

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

This makes enough for a 6-pound turkey.

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sage
Pepper
4 cups dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons water

Sauté onion and celery in butter until tender.

Mix seasonings together and sprinkle over bread cubes. Add onion mixture and water. Combine. Stuff rinsed turkey and roast immediately.

Oyster Dressing

DO NOT MAKE THIS THE DAY BEFORE!!! Make it just before stuffing the turkey right before you bake it.

1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup butter
6 cups dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
3 cups raw oysters, chopped
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups oyster liquor plus milk, if needed

Cook celery, onion and bay leaf in butter until tender but not brown. Discard the bay leaf. Add crumbs and parsley to the butter mixture. Add oysters, seasonings and eggs. Add enough of the liquid mixture to moisten. This will stuff a 10 to 12-pound turkey.

Sausage And Cornbread Stuffing

1 pound bulk pork sausage
2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
3 cups white bread cubes, toasted
2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4 tsp. pepper
3-3 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 eggs, beaten
celery leaves

Cook sausage, onions, and diced celery in a skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned and onion and celery are tender. Drain. Place in a large bowl; add remaining ingredients except celery leaves, stirring well.

Spoon into a greased 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking dish. Bake at 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with celery leaves.

Country Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing

1 pound bulk pork sausage
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 medium-size celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 medium-size red bell pepper, diced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper
1 (16 ounce) package cornbread stuffing mix
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Heat 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage meat and cook until browned, stirring frequently to break up sausage. With slotted spoon, remove sausage from skillet to large bowl. Discard all but 2 tablespoons sausage drippings from skillet. Add margarine or butter, celery, onion, and red pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned. Stir in broth, black pepper, and 3/4 cup water; heat to boiling, stirring to loosen any brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add vegetable mixture, cornbread stuffing mix, pecans, and parsley to sausage; mix well.

Wild Rice Stuffing

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (4 ounce) package wild rice (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium-size carrots, sliced
2 medium-size celery stalks, sliced
1 medium-size onion, chopped
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups regular long-grain rice
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In 4-quart saucepan over high heat, heat chicken broth, wild rice, salt, thyme, and 1-1/2 cups water to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove carrot mixture to bowl.

In same skillet in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, cook mushrooms until golden brown and all liquid evaporates.

Stir long-grain rice, carrot mixture, and mushrooms into wild rice; over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Cranberry Orange Stuffed Turkey

Picture perfect turkey, filled with cranberry and orange bread stuffing, ready for a special holiday.

Stuffing Ingredients:
9 cups dried bread cubes
1 cup butter, melted
6 ribs (3 cups) celery, sliced 1/2-inch
2 medium (1 cup) onions, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Turkey Ingredients:
1 (18 to 22-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed

Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen cranberry-orange sauce

Stir together cranberries, sugar and 1-1/2 cups orange juice in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop and sugar dissolves (9 to 11 minutes); cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together all remaining stuffing ingredients in large bowl. Stir in cranberry mixture.

Heat oven to 325°F. Stuff turkey with stuffing. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Bake as directed on turkey package or approximately 5 to 6 hours. (Meat thermometer should read 180°F in thigh.)

Meanwhile, stir together sauce ingredients in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (2 to 3 minutes). Baste turkey with sauce during last 30 minutes of baking time.

Loosely cover turkey with aluminum foil if browning too quickly. Heat remaining sauce; serve over turkey. Makes 18 servings.

Sweet Potato Dressing

The bread-free sweet potato dressing adds its own juices to those of the turkey as it roasts, and the orange juice baste adds a sweet note to the crispy skin.

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 orange, rind finely grated, juice squeezed and reserved
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted, divided use
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, scrubbed and chopped
1 celery rib, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped peeled parsnip
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 (approximately 10-pound) turkey

Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mash, and stir in the grated orange rind.

Place half the melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and parsnip. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add sage. Add mixture to the sweet potatoes, mixing well.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spoon the stuffing into turkey. Insert a meat thermometer through the body cavity into the thickest part of the stuffing. Brush remaining butter on the turkey and place in a roasting pan.

Bake at for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue baking at 375°F 1 to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 180°F. Baste often with the reserved orange juice and any juices that collect in the pan.

When turkey is done, let stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving

Crockpot Stuffing

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
2 4-ounce cans sliced mushrooms, drained
12 to 13 cups slightly dry bread cubes
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1-1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
2 eggs, beaten

Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion, celery, parsley and mushrooms. Pour over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Add all seasonings and toss well.

Pour in enough broth to moisten; add beaten eggs and mix well. Pack lightly into Crock-Pot. Cover; cook on high 45 minutes; then reduce to low 4 to 8 hours. 6 servings.

NOTE: Two 7-ounce packages seasoned stuffing mix may be substituted for bread cubes. Use 3 to 3-1/2 cups chicken broth; omit herbs and salt. 6 servings

Apple Stuffing

This is delicious with roast turkey or other fowl.

8 cups stale bread, shredded
2 large jars applesauce (at least 32 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup turkey or chicken broth
1 cup raisins
2 eggs, beaten

Mix all ingredients well in large pan. Mixture should be quite moist. Bake in large buttered pan or shallow casserole for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

Thanksgiving Cooking

Cooking Notes