# Dressing (stuffing) Recipe



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 28, 2004)

I need a great bread dressing recipe. The flavor should be dominated by sage, but with other flavors to ballance the dressing. I cook my dressing outside the bird as the bird cooks better that way, and in a shorter time period.

I can't seem to get my dressing just right. My parents, and grandparents had it down but cooked the same way that I generally do, without a recipe.

I'm looking for moist, but not gooey results. I prefer to use turkey broth, and giblets to add flavor depth.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## Barbara L (Aug 28, 2004)

I've never really measured anything, so I don't know how much help this will be, but first I saute a large chopped onion and a few ribs of celery, also chopped, in a stick of butter.  I sprinkle liberal amounts of poultry seasoning over a big bowl of bread cubes (you could add more sage if you wanted to).  Then I pour the onions and celery over the bread crumbs and toss.  Slowly add your broth to this, tossing as you go.  When it is the desired moistness, taste it to see if you need more poultry seasoning or sage.  Finally, carefully stir in a nice big glob of prepared yellow mustard.  The mustard really adds something to it.    Hmmm, I have a chicken defrosting and hadn't decided yet what to do with it.  I think I know now what we are having for supper tonight!  lol

 Barbara


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 28, 2004)

Thanks.  I'll definitely try the blob of mustard in my next batch.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## Alix (Aug 29, 2004)

Hey Goodweed...I used to use dried bread cubes and crumbs, but I now use fresh. I do the onion and poultry seasoning thing, but I use milk in mine. Never fails us. Not sure how you like yours, but we like ours glommed together. Then the next day you can cut a slice to put in your turkey sandwich...mmmmmmmmmmmm. 

Sorry, got sidetracked there. The fresh bread definitely is moister. Good luck.


----------



## Barbara L (Aug 29, 2004)

Yeah, I use either dry or fresh, whichever I have.  Whenever I have a loaf of bread that isn't going to be used right away, I freeze it.  I often use that for dressing (frozen bread also makes the best French toast).  You don't have to go to the expense of buying the cubes made for dressing, as regular bread works great and just takes a minute to cut into cubes.

 Barbara


----------



## Raine (Aug 29, 2004)

What all ahve you been putting in yours?

Mine is pretty simple. 

Don't measure a whole lot, so here is what I do.  You can adjust it as needed.

Bake cake of corn bread in large cast iron skillet.  Bake 1 sheet (10 x 13 1/2) of biscuits   These can be baked the day before.

Crumble cornbread and biscuits together.

Add 1-2 enevolpes of dry onion soup.

Add sage to taste.

Add turkey/chicken broth to moisten mixture. Moisten enough so that it still holds together, yet not too dry when baked.

Place in casserole disk and bake until brown.   

You can bake it with other items in the oven at any temperture, just adjust time according to temperture.


----------



## Gemini (Sep 3, 2004)

Goodweed-I have a great recipe for stuffing which is made in a loaf pan and can be made 24 hours ahead. See below-I hope this helps!


----------



## middie (Sep 3, 2004)

i use dried white bread
fry a pound of bacon
sautee celery and onion
seasonings are accent pepper sage and poultry seasoning
some butter and water


----------



## Bangbang (Sep 3, 2004)

Try adding some chopped apples or raisins to your stuffing.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 5, 2004)

Wasabi Woman;

I've not said this to you and I need to.  Your posts impress me, and I'm a hard guy to impress.  Along with a couple other ideas, I'm definitely going to give your dressing recipe a try.

I'm also going to try cooing it on the Webber Covered Grill, with some Maple chunks.  This shoud be a perfect accompanyment to my smoked turkey as well.  Thanks.

And thanks to the rest of you.  I make my dressing like most of you.  Sometimes it's good, sometimes too strong, sometimes not strong enough.  That's why I wanted the recipe.  Unlike sauces, you can't adjust the mx after it's begun to cook.  I can't use the tried and true taste and modify technique.

Again, there are some great ideas her that I can use to modify my dressings.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## wasabi woman (Sep 5, 2004)

Goodweed, thank you for the kind words -   
Glad to pass on the recipes I have received from so many kind folk, like yourself!


Good Luck!


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 6, 2004)

Someone posted that they love to make turkey and dressing sandwiches.  That is, or was an esential sandwich for me.  I always made them with leftover turkey.  I found a way to cut carbs and still enjoy the same wonderful flavor.  I just make whole-wheat bread and add sage, tyyme, onion, black pepper, and celery salt to the dough before it's kneeded.  Then I bake it.  The slices themselves give me that savory flavor I so crave with the lightly salted turkey meat.  

I can make the bread, why do I have problems with the dressing (heavy sigh)?

With the info from the posts though, this should be a thing of the past.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## wasabi woman (Sep 9, 2004)

Wow! what a great idea! I'm definitely gonna try that!


----------



## marmalady (Sep 11, 2004)

Goodweed - ? for you - Did you state somewhere why you're not happy with your stuffing?  Maybe it's not recipe, but technique?  Is is gooey - dry ?


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 12, 2004)

My texture comes out very good.  I just can't seem to get the seasoning just right.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## marmalady (Sep 12, 2004)

Oooh, okay!  I always use more seasoning than the 'recipe' calls for - or more than what you would normally use - ie, '2 tsp sage' would be a lot of sage in most recipes; but when you're making stuffing, all that bread absorbs the seasoning, and dilutes it.  

Why don't you try mixing your stuffing a little on the dry side with your 'normal' amounts of seasonings, veggies, and whatever else you're making it with; then taste it, and if it seems a little bland, mix some more spices with a little chicken broth/water, heat it, and then mix that in to 'adjust' your seasonings?

I love stuffing!  Just the smell of the spices and onions/celery makes me swoon!

OT - Have you ever done a stuffed flank steak with bread stuffing?  Awesome.


----------



## middie (Sep 12, 2004)

adjust the seasonings to your taste.


----------



## Vegas Girl (Sep 12, 2004)

Has anyone ever tried Rachael's Ray method of using cut up buttered toast in their stuffing?   

I never heard of that before, but she swears by it.  That's the way her mom did it.


----------



## marmalady (Sep 13, 2004)

Sorry, Rachael Ray gets a big  :roll: from me.  Not a personal knock here, as I don't know the woman from Adam, just some of her methods and 'tips' kinda make me go 'huh'?

If I used buttered toast in my stuffing, I'd be standing at the d**n toaster for a whole day, just making the toast!!


----------



## Vegas Girl (Sep 13, 2004)

*Toast for stuffing?*

She never uses a toaster on her cooking show.  She actually puts the bread in the oven.  It does seem a bit odd.


----------



## marmalady (Sep 13, 2004)

:roll:  - again!  The day before Thanksgiving, I've got much better things to do with my own than make toast for my stuffing!


----------



## Vegas Girl (Sep 13, 2004)

I hear ya.


----------



## middie (Sep 13, 2004)

forget about standing over a toaster or near an oven all day to watch over bread. do what my mom does and lay the brread out on a cookie sheet for about a week lol.


----------



## LynnT (Sep 18, 2004)

I fry up breakfast sausage, crumbled and then cook the onions and celery in the grease or butter.  I put some Bell's poultry seasoning on each thing as I'm cooking it, so it absorbs some flavor.  Around the holidays, they sell "stuffing bread" which is just an uncut loaf.  It's usually cheaper than the regular loaves and seems a little denser. (Maybe that's just my imagination.)  I just keep adding poultry seasoning until it tastes good.  Everything else is just like yours,  assuming you use salt & pepper, too.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 19, 2004)

Man there are so many good ideas here.  Which one do I pick from?    I'm just going to have to cook turkey more often.  But that's ok.  It's relatively cheep, and tastes so good.  Besides, there are som many things you can do with the left-overs.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## choclatechef (Sep 28, 2004)

marmalady said:
			
		

> Oooh, okay!  I always use more seasoning than the 'recipe' calls for - or more than what you would normally use - ie, '2 tsp sage' would be a lot of sage in most recipes; but when you're making stuffing, all that bread absorbs the seasoning, and dilutes it.
> 
> Why don't you try mixing your stuffing a little on the dry side with your 'normal' amounts of seasonings, veggies, and whatever else you're making it with; then taste it, and if it seems a little bland, mix some more spices with a little chicken broth/water, heat it, and then mix that in to 'adjust' your seasonings?
> 
> ...




Mom also made her stuffing with more seasonings than the recipe called for, and do the "tasting" thing to adjust for seasoning errors.  She and I always moisten the stuffing with turkey or chicken stock.  

If the dressing was made ahead, we will moisten it with turkey gravy, before re-heating it in the oven.

Oh yes.  I love stuffed pork chops also!  

My mother would also dry her bread out on cookie sheets, and she would add about 1/3 amount of cornbread.


----------

