What is the secret to your stuffing?

[Jeff Westover]

My lone big excuse for not going anywhere but my house on Thanksgiving is, well, ... the stuffing.

Nobody makes it right. Except for me, of course. (ahem).

So, out with it...what is the secret to your stuffing?

Jeff

[Ervserver]

sweet sausage special made by my butcher. Has a hint of venison mixed in.

[mrshamm]

mine is made straight outta the box...lol. I've only found 1 other kind I like and that's at the White House Inn.

[Jeff Westover]

Ah, I use the sausage in my stuffing too....not too much, not too little...but not the sweet variety. I'm a BIG believe in sage in the stuffing.

And almonds, too.

Jeff

[Christy Carol]

No stuffing here, we have dressing. Secret to it is using a fresh hen.

[Ervserver]

You thinking what I'm thinking.....STUFFING SWAP !

[Merry Sage]

So, out with it...what is the secret to your stuffing?

Jeff

My mother's receipe. You lose. :D

[caseydbell]

i dont know...cause i dont make it

[Jinglebelle]

Sausage in stuffing??? :? Never heard of it... Almonds sound good...

[Jinglebelle]

You thinking what I'm thinking.....STUFFING SWAP !
I make the stuff out of the box... I'd LOVE to have a real recipe!! cheesy

[Jeff Westover]

Here's your ingredients --

Pepperidge Farms Cubed Herb Stuffing
Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
Fresh Celery
Sliced Almonds
Fresh Cranberries
Ground Sage
Raw Eggs

The ingredient amounts depend upon how big your bird is and how much you want left over. It definitely tastes better inside the bird. Some folks have an aversion to using raw egg to keep it all together and you could use chicken broth but that really tends to make it salty and diminish the flavor of the sausage. Use everything fresh, even the bread, if you can. I have used my wife's homemade bread (not machine stuff) for the stuffing base and it was fabulous but if you have to use something commercial use only the Pepperidge Farm in the cubed variety (better than the crushed because the larger surface areas of the cubed mix distributes the ingredients more evenly and helps to prevent over stuffing the turkey).

[Jinglebelle]

WOW! Thank's Jeff... for sharing your recipe! I will have to try it soon!! I don't think I could wait till November... cheesy

[SnowMaiden1018]

I make the stuff out of the box... I'd LOVE to have a real recipe!! cheesy
I make a homemade stuffing that is to die for! Well I think so and Its so easy to make. Its a rather simple recipe that has been handed down for almost a hundred years in my family (altho the type of ingredients has changed i.e stale bread chunks for bread crumbs) You can make it with either seasoned bread baked in a 350 degree oven til crisp which is very time consuming or buy the lil peppridge farms bread crumbs from the grocery store --so here ya go!

Adjust depending on size of Turkey ( in my family we make it all)
3 Green Peppers--chopped into small pieces
3 Large onions--same as peppers
2 large cans of Chicken Broth
2 large bags of Crumbs
tblspoon of butter
Natures seasoning to taste (shortcut)
1/4 tspn Poulty seasoning

Sautee peppers and onions in butter--till soft and onions are transparent
at the same time warm the chicken broth to just about boiling
remove from heat.
Put crumbs in very large bowl
add poultry seasoning
add peppers and onions
mix
add broth one cup at a time
You want to add alot of chicken broth to make up for fluid loss during cooking and it also adds a lot of flavor and moisture the the turkey when you stuff it
add Natures to taste

Proceed to stuff turkey
What does not fit in turkey can be cooked in a cassorole dish until it has been warmed entirely throught and also browned on the top.
I usually add the leftovers to oven after the turkey is done and let it cook until Im ready to serve dinner. YUM!

Like I said It is very simple. I wish you good luck and Happy stuffing.
You can also adjust recipe for use with a Chicken for a sunday dinner!

[Jinglebelle]

mmmm... my mouth is watering! I gotta try this one soon! Thanks for the great recipe!!

[Minta]

I use two types of onions (white and vidalia), celery, sage, butter and chicken broth. I sautee the onions and celery in butter, half way through I add sage and then slowly add 1/2 chicken broth. Let cool slighlty and then pour over bthe bread crubms, mix well. add more sage. If the bread crumbs are still too dry add more chricken broth 1/4 cup at a time. Stuff bird

[dominick]

Stuff bird

Nooooooo!

I don't want to upset anyone, and I understand tradition and all, but stuffing really doesn't do the bird ANY good. I love stuffing on the side, but I'll never put it in my turkeys. It alters cooking time, changes the way the bird cooks, absorbs moisture, and worse still... harbors bacteria and other nasty stow-aways.

[dvdguy]

Ive never had a turkey not turn out moist & yummy when stuffed

[dominick]

Well if you're happy with the results, that's all that matters, but I'd put one of my brined birds (essentially an Alton Brown recipe with a little tweaking) against anyone's for moisture and flavor infusion.

[Minta]

Nooooooo!

I don't want to upset anyone, and I understand tradition and all, but stuffing really doesn't do the bird ANY good. I love stuffing on the side, but I'll never put it in my turkeys. It alters cooking time, changes the way the bird cooks, absorbs moisture, and worse still... harbors bacteria and other nasty stow-aways.

I have never had a problem with stuffing a turkey. Turkey and stuffing always came out great and no one got sick. We do not over stuff it. I use to bake the extra stuffing in a casserole dish but I found it was easier to bake them in muffin pans.

[Jinglebelle]

T - I love to watch 'Good Eats'!

I've only cooked about 9 Thanksgiving turkeys in my life. I've stuffed a couple of them... last years was stuffed and I put it in the oven and cooked it according to the directions, and it didn't get done. I had to put it back in the oven for a couple of hours, and delay our dinner. But aside from that the turkey itself was moist and pretty good.
But really I like the stuffing cooked on the side. I think it's too soggy if not. Except for that little mound of it that sticks out the back of the turkey and gets really done...

:family:

[dvdguy]

Alton does have some good ideas. I just think a turkey has to have stuffing. I'm not a big stuffing eater either

[dominick]

T - I love to watch 'Good Eats'!

Me too. By far my favorite cooking show.

But really I like the stuffing cooked on the side. I think it's too soggy if not. Except for that little mound of it that sticks out the back of the turkey and gets really done...

I agree. The past two years I've done away with the stuffing all together in favor of some cornbread dishes. No complaints.

[dvdguy]

good eats & unwrapped make a good combo

[Jinglebelle]

I'm not a big cornbread fan... and my family would NOT be happy with me if I did away with the stuffing...

[Jinglebelle]

good eats & unwrapped make a good combo

Unwrapped... I love that show too... you guys ever watch 'Ace of cakes'? I watch it occasionaly, if it's the only thing on, and I like it.

[dvdguy]

not big on cornbread either

[dominick]

I love cornbread, and the rest of my family seems to enjoy it.

I like unwrapped, but I get tired of watching the same episodes over and over. I hardly ever see one I haven't seen before.

As for Ace of Cakes, I'll watch it, but it's not something I make a habit of. I'm usually up for anything with Bobby Flay in it, though.

[dvdguy]

yeah Bobby will grill anything

[dominick]

Do you ever watch his show Throwdown? It's funny watching him try to cook things he has no experience with. I like him because he seems really down to earth; a very humble guy for everything he's accomplished.

[Jinglebelle]

I've only watched bobby once or twice... I don't watch food unless theres just nothing else on. I usually stay tuned to History, Discovery, or Cartoon Network (adult swim)!! heheh!!!

I'm hooked on Deadliest Catch...

[Jinglebelle]

I like to watch them catch the food, you guys like to watch them cook it!!
cheesy

[dominick]

Without History, Discovery, and TLC, I wouldn't even bother with the TV.

I have a little problem with adult swim; I tend to watch it when I've been without sleep for 20 some odd hours, and it gets a little trippy. I know it sounds weird, but I start to wonder if what I'm seeing is real or if I'm in some semi-catatonic hallucinogenic state.

Deadliest Catch seems like a repeat every episode.

[Jinglebelle]

Without History, Discovery, and TLC, I wouldn't even bother with the TV.

I have a little problem with adult swim; I tend to watch it when I've been without sleep for 20 some odd hours, and it gets a little trippy. I know it sounds weird, but I start to wonder if what I'm seeing is real or if I'm in some semi-catatonic hallucinogenic state.

Deadliest Catch seems like a repeat every episode.

Deadliest Catch is always a re-run it seems, but for some reason I watch it anyway...

I am a HUGE fan of Futurama!!

Tony, after 20 hours of no sleep it is probablly both - real AND some semi-catatonic hallucinogenic state - there's some pretty funky weird stuff on Adult Swim...

[Minta]

I'm hooked on Deadliest Catch...

ME Too, Me Too!

[Jinglebelle]

It's amazing to watch what those men go through... they sure make some good money...

[dominick]

I am a HUGE fan of Futurama!!

Are you aware of the purported deal between their creators and Comedy Central? Supposedly there was some sort of Futurama movie that kind of fell by the wayside after it's cancellation. Comedy Central made a deal for them to chop it up into three or four episodes for them to run, which unlike all the other episodes will have some continuity. Depending on the reaction, they may consider picking up the series again. Now it's still really speculatory, but those are details I keep hearing over and over again. We'll see if it actually happens.

[Jinglebelle]

Yes, I've heard(read) similar rumors -- according to GotFuturama.com, they decided to make 4 movies and chop them up into several episodes. Comedy Central will air them sometime in 2008... Fox may or may not air them also.

I hope it's not just a rumor, because I am TOTALLY looking forward to it!!

Have you seen the Christmas in 3000 episode? I love it!!

[dominick]

Have you seen the Christmas in 3000 episode?

Of course!

I'd like to see some new ones, but I was happy to see Family Guy come back and that has seriously disappointed me. I'd hate for the same thing to happen with Futurama. I really enjoyed that show.

[dominick]

Man, we've really deviated from the topic here.

:hello:

[Jinglebelle]

I agree.. I hope they stay true to the original episodes...

As for Family Guy, it has been a bit of a let down...

How did we get from stuffing to Futurama??

[Jinglebelle]

Man, we've really deviated from the topic here.

:hello:

Your reading my mind again...!!!

[dominick]

That's how things go here. We'll be on topic for the first page if we're lucky, and then before you know it we're talking about vulgar comedians, sleep deprivation, and old cartoons.

[Jinglebelle]

:lol::lol: heheh...

[dvdguy]

The futurama rumors are not rumors, they are doing new episodes & possibly still the straight to dvd movies

[dominick]

Where'd you read that? I'm still highly sceptical about the whole thing, and believe I have good reason to based on past rumors.

[dvdguy]

its been just about everywhere, toyfair mag, comicscontinuum.com, maybe on tvshowsondvd.com too.

[dvdguy]

http://new.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=3100

[Jinglebelle]

The most 'awesomest' Futurama fan site in the world: http://www.gotfuturama.com has some info on the subject too... cheesy

[dominick]

I'll have to read some more into it later when I should be sleeping.

[dvdguy]

you dont sleep:hello:

[dominick]

No kidding. :-? I tried to get a nap in, but it wasn't happening.

[dvdguy]

its overrated anyway, I wish somebody would find a way to do without

[Annette1990]

I make mine and I do it old school so to speak...
I toast all my bread, break it up into peices add it to a bowl and set it aside. I then get out my old school grinder like our grandmas all used and tighten it to my countertop...I have a pan below to catch the drippings while grinding my celery stalks and onion. I then set that aside and go back to my bread and I add chicken broth and mix the bread all up until its all moist, I then add the celery and onion, I then microwave or us the stove top to melt some butter add that and continue mixing, then I add my sage (grounded) to taste..........and some salt...

[mrspenguin]

I make a cornbread dressing with sage, shallots,celery,garlic and sweet sausage. My hubby goes crazy for it.

[Annette1990]

Jeff...I was reading some of the posts for dressing/stuffing. Your recipe sounds yummy. I am going to have to try it sometime. I like everything that goes into it. When you have some down time..would you mind emailing/msg. me the correct measurments. Thanks so much!cheesy

[joyful]

My secret to my stuffing is I never measure and I love to throw new things into it. Plus I only use wheat bread which seems to give it a good flavor plus better for you. I like to stuff the bird like my mother did and her ancestors (they never got sick from it) but lately no one likes the dark meat so I'm buying just the turkey breast and making stuffing balls, but lots of butter and broth with other seasonings thrown in have always made my stuffing a hit. But I do not measure, I just seem to know how much to add.

[act_as_if]

Well, my mom makes ours. She makes hers with rice, apples, basil and sage, and of course bread.

[Lfisch]

My stuffing is so easy. I just saute onions and celery in butter, add my homemade poultry seasoning. While that cools, I mix my bread cubes with chicken broth and egg. Mix it altogether and bake in a separate casserole dish. What I do with the Turkey is take some celery and onion and stuff them into the turkey while roasting. I do that to add flavor to the turkey and for the gravy that comes from the drippings. I don't stuff the bird with the stuffing as one year I DID get sick as well as our family from stuffed bird we had at my Aunt's house one year. It was an isolated case, but has turned me off to stuffed bird. I am sure a stuffed bird is fine, I just have bad memories from it.....lol.

[MarthaK]

I always have my stuffing on the side because my bourbon turkey recipe calls for the turkey to be stuffed with orange and onion wedges.

I have tried a few recipes for stuffing, including one last year that used chestnuts. I still go back to the old, tried and true standby "just like mom and grandma made." Anything too different always leaves me craving the traditonal flavors.

This thread is killing me. I need to run to the kitchen and dig out that partial box of Bell's poultry seasoning for some auromatherapy!

[MerrySilver]

It's called...Stove Top. LOLOL

This year, however, I would love to try a stuffing that does not come in a box for once. :D

[Mumof2]

My Mum's stuffing! Potato based,spiced just right! mmmmm We also love rice dressing (plain for me-Oyster for hubby)

[Ms_Speedy_Elf]

My b/f makes our stuffing /dressing .He puts raisin's in it like his mom did.

[misjordi]

Poultry seasoning, mmmmm.........