Traditional Turkey Stuffing Food

BETTY CROCKER'S CLASSIC BREAD TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat melt the butter, then sauté the onion and celery (and mushroom, if using) until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the salt, pepper, and sage and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
• Place the bread cubes into a large, deep bowl.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the butter/celery mixture over the cubes and toss well, then repeat steps until all of the butter mixture is used.
• Toss the cubes thoroughly to coat.
• (Regarding the optional chicken broth: for dry stuffing, add little or no liquid; for moist stuffing mix in lightly with fork just enough chicken broth to moisten dry crumbs.) Let cool and use as stuffing for the turkey.
• We've made this stuffing in the crockpot, as well, adding the chicken broth for moistness.
• Adapted from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, circa 1950.
• Note: regardling the amount of salt - yes, the amount listed above is correct and is what is listed in the original Betty Crocker recipe. When the butter mixture is first added to the bread, if you taste it at this point it might seem salty (because it is sitting right on the surface of the bread) but remember that the liquid and butter soaks into the bread and redistributes evenly. Also, this recipe, being from the 1950s, is specifically for cooking *inside* the turkey, which a lot of people no longer do, and again the salt will redistribute from the juices in the meat. If you use a crockpot for cooking your stuffing, I'd recommend reducing the amount of salt.
• Note #2: again, regarding the salt. You're going to have to decide for yourself about the salt. Having eaten this recipe for every year of my life I know it tastes wonderful as it's written. But that's just me.

CLASSIC STUFFED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the onions, celery and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add broth and seasonings; mix well. Place bread cubes in a large bowl; add mushroom mixture and toss to coat. Stir in enough warm water to reach desired moistness. , Just before baking, loosely stuff turkey. Place any remaining stuffing in a greased baking dish; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with melted butter., Bake turkey, uncovered, at 325° for 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for the turkey and 165° for the stuffing, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Bake additional stuffing, covered, for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cover turkey with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy.

BASIC STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups each diced onions and celery, 2 chopped apples and 1 tablespoon each minced sage and thyme; season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk 2 eggs with 1/4 cup chopped parsley in a large bowl; add 16 cups cubed stale country white bread, then pour in the vegetable-broth mixture and toss. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish and dot with more butter. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden, 20 more minutes.

TURKEY AND STUFFING

Steps:

• For the turkey: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan, fitted with a roasting rack if desired, and soak the cheesecloth in the butter. Season the bird with salt and pepper. Brush any remaining butter on top of the bird and cover the breasts with the cheesecloth to prevent the top skin from burning before it is cooked. Place the celery, onions, garlic, sage, bay, and rosemary in and around the turkey in the roasting pan - these will be used to make the stuffing when everything is roasted.
• Place the roasting pan in the center of the oven. Cook for about 12 minutes per pound. After about 2 hours of cooking, remove the cheesecloth from the top of the breasts and return the turkey to the oven to cook for 1 more hour. If the tips of the wings start to get too dark, cover with foil to prevent them from burning.
• For the gravy: Place the neck and the chicken stock in a pot and simmer gently on top of the stove as the turkey finishes cooking. The stock should reduce by about half. Season with salt and pepper.
• How do you know when the turkey is done? The temperature of the thigh meat (where the meat is thickest and takes the longest time to cook) should register 165 degrees F when tested with a thermometer. When done, remove the bird from the oven, transfer it to a flat surface (or serving platter), and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the vegetables for stuffing and carving the meat.
• For the stuffing: Heat a large skillet and add half a stick of butter. Add the sausage and cook until brown and crispy. Reserve any grease and set the sausage in a large bowl with the roasted vegetables from the turkey tray. Add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the cubed sourdough bread and cook, stirring, until they toast golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Toss and season with salt and pepper before adding to the bowl with the vegetables. Stir everything together and taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary.
• For the gravy: Unless the bottom of the roasting pan is burned, you can make delicious gravy. Place the roasting pan over the burners of the stove, add the mustard and marsala to the pan, and warm it over low heat. Scrape the bottom to get the drippings and tasty bits off of the pan as the marsala reduces. Strain the neck out from the stock and pour about 1/2 cup into a small bowl. Whisk the flour into the bowl, taking care there are no lumps. Reduce the marsala until there is almost no liquid. Add the remaining chicken stock and the flour mixture to the roasting pan. Whisk to blend. Taste for seasoning. Reduce until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a gravy boat.
• Allow the turkey to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Serve sliced turkey with stuffing (dressing) on the side.

CLASSIC STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 3-quart baking dish. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, sage and thyme; season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
• Whisk the eggs and parsley in a large bowl. Add the bread and the vegetable-broth mixture and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the turkey drippings (or dot with butter); sprinkle with the paprika.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden, 25 to 30 more minutes.

TURKEY WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the turkey into a deep, high-sided bowl on its end with the stuffing end up. Set aside.
• Heat the chicken broth in the microwave in a large microwave-proof container. Place mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour heated broth over them. Cover and allow to sit for 35 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl toss the onion, celery, and green pepper with the oil and salt. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, spread the cubed bread over the vegetables, return to the oven, and continue cooking.
• Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Chop the mushrooms and place in a large
• microwave-proof bowl with the vegetables and bread, reserved chicken stock, cherries, pecans, eggs, sage, parsley and black pepper. Stir well in order to break up pieces of bread. Use your hands to combine, if necessary. Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.
• While the stuffing is heating, rub the bird with oil. Working quickly, place the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey to avoid losing heat. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, on a rack, and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for another 60 to 75 minutes or until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. Serve immediately.

CLASSIC STUFFING

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and celery, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage, stir to combine, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock, and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
• Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, including the remaining stock; mix to combine.

TRADITIONAL BAKED STUFFING

Steps:

• Mix onion, celery, parsley, melted butter, egg and poultry seasoning in a large bowl. Stir.
• Add bread crumbs and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute the mixture.
• Slowly drizzle milk over bread while stirring until bread cubes are moist but NOT soggy. (May need a bit more or less milk than this recipe calls for.).
• Stir in salt and pepper.
• Pour in a greased casserole dish or Pyrex bowl. (A 9x14" baking dish will do in a pinch).
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until bread cubes on top are crispy.

TRADITIONAL TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package, adding onions and celery with the stuffing mix.

TRADITIONAL STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
• Saute vegetables in margarine until onion is transparent.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix bread, cooked vegetables and seasonings.
• Add the chicken broth slowly to the bread, tossing until evenly and thoroughly moist.
• Place dressing in prepared baking dish.
• Bake until thoroughly heated and lightly browned; about 1/2 hour.

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.

THANKSGIVING STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onions and celery in butter until tender; add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl; add the broth, parsley, sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Gently stir in bread cubes until mixed. , Spoon into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish (dish will be full). Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through.

TURKEY AND STUFFING

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing according to package directions, and set aside in a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the onion, celery and sage. Boil 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Stir into the prepared stuffing.
• Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Loosely fill the body and neck cavities with the stuffing mixture.
• Place turkey in a large roasting pan and cook 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature of the thigh meat is 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) and the stuffing is at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

GRANDMA SMITH'S NEW BRUNSWICK-STYLE TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two, then mash.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook the celery and onion in the butter until the onion has turned translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Fold into the mashed potatoes along with the savory, and allow to cool until just warm.
• Place the cooled mashed potatoes into a large bowl, and stir in the beaten egg. Gently fold in cubed bread, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Use as a stuffing for turkey, or bake in buttered loaf pans at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes.

STELLA'S TRADITIONAL TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Combine turkey innards, diced celery, diced carrot, and bay leaf in a pot. Season with salt and pepper and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 hour, removing liver after 30 minutes. Remove and discard neck, tail, and bay leaf. Remove remaining innards and put with the liver to cool. Keep broth in the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
• Combine bread cubes, beef, chopped celery, apple, walnuts, poultry seasoning, oregano, sage, thyme, and rosemary in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Chop cooled innards into small pieces. Add to the bread mixture and mix until everything is evenly distributed, adding in broth mixture (including cooked celery and carrots) and oil to moisten the dressing to desired texture. Stuffing is ready to bake in the oven or stuff in the bird.

GRANDMA WINNIE'S TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter one 2 quart casserole dish.
• In a saute pan, cook onion and celery in butter until soft.
• In a mixing bowl, combine onion and celery, bread cubes, poultry seasonings, mushrooms, egg and stock. Mix well and add to casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour.

TRADITIONAL ROAST STUFFED TURKEY

Steps:

• Tear the bread into pieces, and place back into the bags overnight.
• Dice the onion, and leave covered on the counter.
• The next day, saute the diced onion in margarine, stir in sage and chicken broth.
• Place the bread pieces in a large mixing bowl, pour most of the onion mixture onto the bread and stir.
• The stuffing has enough moisture when you can squeeze a handful, and when opening your hand, the stuffing stays in a loose ball. If it falls apart, add a little more onion mixture.
• If it is soggy and squeezes together tightly, add a little more bread pieces.
• If the bird has skin which is binding it's legs together, cut this.
• Rinse the bird, remove and discard heart, neck etc. and pat the insides to remove some of the moisture.
• Push the stuffing into the carcass,until you cant' get anymore in, overstuffing the bird as seen in the picture. The tighter you push it in, the moister the stuffing will be.
• Stuff the neck cavity.
• If you have leftover stuffing, that is a good thing. Place it in a sprayed crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
• Wrap the legs and wings with foil, they will cook quickly.
• Put a piece of loose foil over the entire bird.
• Roast at 325°F for about 3 hours.
• Remove all of the foil, setting it aside and roast for another hour.
• If the turkey does not have a pop up timer, use a meat thermometer.
• When done, set the turkey out on the counter and cover loosely with the foil, let it stand 20 minutes for a moist bird.
• Remove the stuffing from the bird and mix it in with the crock pot stuffing.
• Carve the turkey and serve on a platter.
• Enjoy this time honored tradition with your loved ones.
• You may use more or less sage, according to your tastes.