Thanksgiving Dressing Stuffing Outside Of The Bird Food

THANKSGIVING DRESSING (STUFFING OUTSIDE OF THE BIRD)

Steps:

• Adjust the racks in your oven to the middle top and middle bottom position. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread cubes on two baking sheets in even layers. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden. Stir the bread and switch pans halfway through baking. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, grease a 9 x 13" pan and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt 4 tbs butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 10 minutes, until starting to softened and turn golden.
• Add the garlic and Bells seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the broth and soy sauce. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Whisk the eggs, half and half, and parsley in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the broth mixture.
• Fold in all of the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat all. Let sit for 20 minutes until bread is soaked with the liquid mixture (some will still be in the bowl).
• Pour the bread mix into the prepared pan.
• Melt the remaining butter and drizzle over the stuffing.
• Bake on lower middle rack for 50 minutes, until top is crispy. Serve warm.

ROAST THE STUFFING OUTSIDE THE TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Here are five reasons to prepare stuffing a la carte:
• 2. Safety: When cooking poultry, it is crucial to follow proper temperature guides for doneness. Other meats can be enjoyed at different levels of doneness, but poultry is done when it's done. Turkey is fully cooked when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 175F. At that point the turkey should be removed from the oven, tented with foil and left to rest for 25 minutes. When cooking a stuffed turkey, it is very important that a thermometer also be inserted into the thickest part of the stuffing. The thermometer should read a minimum of 165F. As a turkey cooks, juices that may contain salmonella will have been absorbed into the stuffing, therefore it is necessary to reach this temperature to kill any potentially harmful bacteria.
• 3. Turkey quality: We put a lot of effort into selecting our holiday turkey. When turkey is cooked properly, it is juicy, tender and divine. Often stuffed birds require far longer in the oven to provide adequate time for the stuffing to cook - and in turn end up dry and overcooked.
• 4. Texture: Stuffing cooked in the bird can be lovely, however, it is often slightly soggy. This is understandable given that bread is porous and continues to absorb the moisture of the bird as it cooks. One of the benefits of preparing your stuffing outside of the bird is that you can visually see the fruits of your labour. If you have browned your stuffing it will still be caramelized and crispy, vegetables can remain fork-tender without being overcooked, fresh herbs will still be bright and full of flavour. If you miss the flavour of the turkey juices in your stuffing, then simply stir some of the cooked drippings into your stuffing just prior to serving.
• 5. Time: Stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and stored in your refrigerator. To reheat, be sure to arrange your racks appropriately prior to baking your turkey ensuring you save room for your dish of stuffing. To reheat the stuffing bake it on the lower rack, underneath the turkey.
• 6. Appearance: While stuffing that is cooked in the bird can taste delicious, it often lacks a little something in the looks department. After all it's been sweating inside a turkey for hours! A separate stuffing that accompanies the bird allows your dish to shine and can be a great visual addition to your holiday table.

FARMHOUSE HERBED STUFFING

Steps:

• In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderate heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking. Stir in onion and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing: In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderately high heat, sauté, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.)
• Transfer to large bowl and add stuffing cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1¼ cups hot stock.
• If using to stuff turkey:
• Use immediately to fill cavities and spread remainder in baking dish as directed in Classic Roast Turkey recipe .
• If baking in a casserole pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9-by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with ½ cup hot stock (stuffing baked outside of the turkey won't be soaked in the turkey's juices, so extra stock is drizzled on top to keep it moist). Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
• Variations:
• Sausage and Sage Stuffing: In large, heavy skillet over moderate heat, sauté 1 pound bulk pork sausage, breaking up pieces with spoon, until meat shows no sign of pink, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to large bowl. Proceed with recipe, adding ingredients to bowl with sausage and substituting 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage for dried rosemary and sage.
• Dried Apricot and Pecan Stuffing: Dried fruit are better than fresh in stuffing because the latter get soggy with long baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1½ cups (6 ounces) pecans on rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. In medium bowl, combine 1½ cups diced dried apricots and hot water to cover. Soak until apricots plump, about 30 minutes, then drain well. Proceed with recipe, tossing apricots and pecans with other ingredients in large bowl.
• Test-Kitchen Tips: Warm, moist stuffing is an optimal environment for bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli to multiply, so it's important to follow safe procedures. Be sure to make the stuffing at the last minute so it can go into the bird warm. This helps it move above the "danger zone" (the optimal temperature range for bacteria growth) more quickly during roasting. Stuffing baked outside of the turkey can be spread in the baking dish and refrigerated for a few hours while the turkey roasts, but it should be prepared on the same day as baking.

STUFFING WITHOUT THE BIRD

Steps:

• In toaster, toast all of the bread and immediately spread generous amounts of butter on toast.
• Use entire stick of butter to do this.
• Set toast aside.
• Finely chop garlic, onion, celery, and mushrooms.
• Heat olive oil in large skillet.
• Add chopped vegetables, cook until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking.
• Chop parsley and almonds.
• When vegetables are tender add, parsley, almonds, and poultry seasoning.
• Stir well and cook one more minute.
• Cut toasted bread into cubes.
• Add bread and chicken stock.
• Stir until bread is softened, about one minute.
• Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish.
• Let sit covered 5 minutes.
• **Please note that I occasionally add chopped cooked apples&/or browned breakfast sausage to this stuffing when adding the bread.