Jackson Family Turkey Stuffing Food

THANKSGIVING TURKEY AND STUFFING DINNER

Steps:

• NOTE: If you cannot find stuffing bread in your grocery store, use the cheapest white bread possible and be sure to use the poultry seasoning.
• Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator (takes about 3-4 days).
• Unwrap turkey, take out the neck that is in one cavity and take out the bag that is in the other cavity of the turkey. This bag contains the gizzards and such. You will want to save this bag. I don't like the neck and throw it away, but my dad loves it and cooks it also.
• Rinse your turkey inside and out. Rub both cavities inside with salt. Put back in fridge in refrigerator until ready to stuff.
• Take the gizzards and such out of the bag. Rinse them out with salt and water.
• Place the gizzards and such in a small pan filled with water. Bring to a boil for about 25 minutes.
• Once boiled, strain the gizzards and rinse the scum off. Please in blender or food processor and chop fine. Set aside.
• In a large frying pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter and 1 tbs oil. Heat and saute celery until soft. Place in bowl.
• Add more butter or oil as needed and fry the onions until soft and transparent. Place in bowl with celery.
• Add more butter or oil as needed and fry the mushrooms and chopped gizzards together until cooked.
• Reduce heat, return the celery and onions to frying pan, add the red wine, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Put all fried ingredients, with juice in large bowl.
• Stir in eggs, the parmasean cheese and poultry seasoning (if using). Mix well.
• Add your pieces of bread slowly until most of the moisture/juice is absorbed. We like to keep ours a bit on the moist side. You may not use all the bread. Place in fridge.
• When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove from the fridge, and stuff both cavities of the turkey with the stuffing. You may have extra stuffing left over. Place the extra in a 9x13 pan to cook separately.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Rub the turkey with crisco or butter, place in a tin foil tray, add 2 bottles of beer, place in a cooking bag, cut slit on top and place in oven. Cook until the turkey reaches the following temperatures (about 4 hours depending on size of turkey):.
• Breast: 165 degrees.
• Thigh: 170 to 180 degrees.
• Stuffing: 165 degrees.

TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING TURKEY STUFFING / DRESSING

Steps:

• Fry meats (we use a combination of burger and mild Italian sausage).
• While meat is frying, cube the bread and dump in a very large bowl; drizzle butter over bread cubes; toss cubes, then set aside.
• When meats are browned, add onions & celery; cook until tender; then pour over bread cubes, tossing again and again until well-mixed.
• Add water/milk ONLY if you like a wetter dressing--otherwise omit.
• Add seasonings according to your taste, toss again.
• Mixture can now be stuffed into the rinsed-out & salted turkey cavities (then placed immediately into oven to be roasted) -- when turkey is roasted, remove stuffing with a long-handled spoon, into a nice serving dish--it will have absorbed all that wonderful turkey pan juices---oh goodness how delicious!
• OR -- spoon into a greased casserole dish, cover and bake until JUST crispy along the edges -- about 45 minutes.
• Whatever doesn't fit into the turkey, spoon into a small casserole pan and bake along with the turkey---turns out every time.
• VARIATION #1: Sliced, fresh mushrooms when browning the meats.
• VARIATION #2: Sprinkle some cornmeal when tossing the bread with the meat---mmmm!
• VARIATION #3: Water chestnuts coarsely chopped or sliced--adds a nice crunchiness the kids love!
• SUGGESTION: Unless you have a very small family -- DOUBLE THE RECIPE -- you won't be sorry, this is EXCELLENT when reheated the next day, too.
• PICKY EATER OPTION: Saute onions & celery in a separate pan until transparent, then dump in the blender along with the melted butter---pour this over the bread cubes and meat. All the aroma & flavor, just no "yukkies" to pick out for those who "hate" onions or celery.
• LEFTOVERS (if you're lucky!): reheat in the microwave.

MY FAMILY'S MEAT STUFFING FOR A TURKEY

Steps:

• First, have a very large bowl or pot close to stove top so you can put ingredients in as they are cooked.
• Second, you need a good sized fry pan, preferabley with deep, straight sides.
• Third, a good pair of tongs and spoonula.
• Fourth, are the ingredients. These are estimations, I don't really measure.
• Fifth, you might want to do the prep ahead so as to be able to cook and stuff all at once. Or not!
• *you could use just ground pork but the sausage gives a better taste.
• Heat fry pan and oil lightly with a pat of butter.
• Fry 1/2 the beef and 1/2 the sausage together. Make sure to break it all up and mix it well until all is cooked. Dump it all into the pot/bowl you have waiting. Juices and all.
• Do the same to the rest of the beef and sausage. Mix thoroughly.
• Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbs) butter in fry pan and saute the celery until almost cooked. Dump it all into the pot/bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbs) butter in fry pan and saute the onion until wilted, but not brown. Dump all into the pot/bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Add seasonings at this point. Use the amount that is to your liking. Mix very well.
• If it seems too dry at this point, melt more butter in the fry pan and add to the mix.
• Finally, add the 1 box of croutons and mix several times over the next 15-20 minutes.
• There should be little or no liquid in the bottom of the pot/bowl after this time. The croutons should have absorbed it. If not, add more croutons and repeat.
• Now you can either put the stuffing in a casserole dish, roaster or other baking pan , and cook separately from the turkey.
• I stuff my turkey, both neck and cavity immediately, while the stuffing is hot, and put it into the oven to roast. The extra stuffing goes in a separate pan to cook along side the turkey.
• If you use a spearate casserole to do cook the stuffing, you may want to use some pan drippings to mix into the casserole and give it more flavor.
• With this we serve mashed potatoes, peas, my special turnip/carrot mash, cranberry sauce, and Polish rye or sisal bread. Of course, the gravy, too!

EASY, OH SO AMAZING, MRS. CUBBISON'S TURKEY STUFFING, MY WAY

Steps:

• Follow the instructions to make the cornbread in and 8" square pan the night before so it has time to dry out a bit, i usually break the loaf in half to help this process; crumble when ready to use.
• You can also hard-boil the eggs the night before to save you time.
• I usually only get about 3-4 cups of broth from my turkey so I boil the turkey neck in 3 cups water to make up the difference.
• Sauté celery, onion and garlic in olive oil.
• In a large tray combine both boxes of mrs. cubbison's & crumbled corn bread (i use one of those huge disposable turkey roasting trays from the store).
• Add veggies, eggs & seasonings.
• Drizzle with butter & turkey broth until desired moistness, stirring occasionally to disperse liquids.
• Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 then uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the top is browned.