Buttery Herb Stuffing

 Yield:  8 people

Prep Time:  45 mins       Cook Time:  50 mins      Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins 

24 oz bread cubes, preferably toasted or stale

1 cup unsalted butter

3 cups diced sweet onion, roughly 2 large onions

2 cups diced celery

6 garlic cloves, minced

kosher salt and pepper

3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 large eggs

a mixture of fresh herbs for sprinkling

1.  Note about the bread cubes! You have options here.  Stale or toasty bread works best.  The first option is that you can cut 1 1/2 lbs of bread into cubes, place it in a large baking dish, loosely tent with foil and let it sit overnight.  You can also cut the cubes and put them in oven, toasting them at 350 degrees until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so.  Finally, you can buy the toasted bread cubes in bags from the store.  It's your choice!  You can also choose the size of your cubes.  They can be small or larger for a mor rustic stuffing.

2.  You can use a mixture of stale and fresh bread.  Also, I like to use different kinds of bread (usually two), like a sourdough and Italian, and mix the cubes.  It provides great texture.

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter, olive oil or spray with nonstick spray.  Place the bread in a large mixing bowl (this may be easier for you to stir) or the 9x13 inch baking dish that you will bake it in.

4.  Heat the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.  Once melted, stir in the onion, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper- at least 1/2 to 1 tsp each.  Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the sage, parsley and rosemary.  Cook for another minute.  Stir  in 1 cup of stock.

5.  Pour the onion celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.

6.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and 2 eggs.

7.  Pour that mixture into the bread cubes and stir and fold the bread cubes until thoroughly combined.  Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees.  If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.

8.  You can make this a day ahead of time and reheat it.  It's just as good!  You can also use this mixture to stuff the bird if you wish.

9.  To serve 4:  Cut this recipe in half exactly and bake it in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish.  I bake for the same amount of time.

10.  To serve 12 to 16:  Double this recipe exactly.  Bake in a large baking dish, like a 10x15 roasting pan, or baking in two 9x13 baking dishes.  I bake for roughly the same amount of time, or about 15 minutes longer.

Traditional Sausage Stuffing

1 lb ground sausage
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper
1 lb loaf of bakery bread (sour dough or french)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbsp sage, freshly minced
1 Tbsp rosemary, freshly minced
1 Tbsp thyme, freshly minced
1 egg
2 cups heavy cream

1.  In a large pan cook the sausage until almost brown.  Add onion and celery to the sausage.  Cook for 5-7 minutes.  Drain any liquids.  Add butter on top of the sausage and melt. Then add flour. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add chicken broth and salt and pepper. Set pan aside.  Will thicken up.

2.  Cut up bread into bite size cubes.  Put in a large bowl.  Add cranberries, sage, rosemary and thyme.

3.  In a measuring cup add heavy cream and add egg.  Mix together.  Pour into bread cubes and mix.  Add sausage mixture into the bread cubes. Mix together.

4.  Place into a 9x13 pan and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  Stuffing will be brown and crusty! 

Recipe:  Six Sisters

Crock-Pot Turkey and Stuffing

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 4 hours Total Time: 4 hour and 15 minutes

1 lb turkey breast (if you don't have turkey, you can always substitute chicken)

5 cups herb seasoned stuffing

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

½ onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

1 apple, finely diced

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp dried sage

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 (12 oz) jar turkey gravy

1 (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom soup

Spray the inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and place turkey breast in the bottom of the crock pot. In a large separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Spread over turkey breast in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Herb & Apple Stuffing Bread pudding

8 c. cubed bread (3/4-in.) such as country boule, crusts removed
1/4 c. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
3 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
2 c. chopped onion (about 1 lg.)
11/2 c. chopped celery (about 3 lg. stalks)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 c. apple juice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley leaves
5 extra-large eggs
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. chicken stock or broth
2 c. freshly grated Gruyere cheese (8oz.)

1.  Preheat oven to 350. Arrange bread in single layer on 18" by 12" jelly-roll pan.  Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside.
2.  While bread toasts, in 12-in. skillet, heat butter on medium-low.  Add pancetta; increase heat to medium and cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.  Add onion, celery, and apple; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in juice, rosemary, 4 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.  Cook 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat; stir in parsley.
3.  Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, beat eggs, cream, chicken stock, and 11/2 cups Gruyere.  Add bread, then vegetable mixture, stirring until well combined.  Let stand 30 minutes to allow bread to soak. 
4.  Stir mixture well; transfer to 21/2- to 3-quart (13" by 9" by 2") gratin dish.  Sprinkle with remaining Gruyere.  (To make ahead, assemble bread pudding, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 1 day before baking.)
5.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until top is browned and custard is set (when knife inserted in center comes out clean).  Serve hot or warm.  Makes 16 side-dish servings

Ina Garten's recipe  (Barefoot Contessa)

Savory Sausage Stuffing

3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup finely diced celery
1 (8 oz.) can mushrooms, not drained
12 cups bread, broken into small pieces
1/2 pound ground sausage, cooked and drained
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage
2 apples, peeled, cored, and grated

Saute onions and celery in melted butter until tender. Add mushrooms. Combine mixture with bread. Add sausage and stir. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and sage. Add grated apples if desired. Bake in a buttered casserole at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Stuffing

2 1/2 cup Swanson Chicken Broth
Generous dash ground black pepper
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 pkg. (12) oz.) Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing

1. Heat broth, black pepper, celery and onion in 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 min. or until vegetables are tender. Add stuffing and mix lightly.

2. Spoon stuffing mixture into greased 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until hot.

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. Makes: 10 servings