Thanksgiving Stuffing/Dressing

In response to my request for recipes or Thanksgiving prep questions Roxanna asked about a stuffing recipe (to be made outside the bird.   This, oddly brought on a whole raft of memories and ideas.  (Note-- I'm going to refer to it as stuffing throughout even though what I'm talking about is most likely dressing just for convenience and lack of confusion). First, I should say, that we never make stuffing in the bird due to health concerns (that it not get to a high enough temp to kill the bacteria from the raw bird) and because we just need more stuffing than fits in a turkey!

Growing up, I think most o fthe time my mom made the stove top variety and I loved it.  I used to make it for myself with extra water as I like mine mushy.  I would also always have stuffing at the Bison dinner.  The stuffing there is delightfully mushy.  I adore it.  Sometimes it is nearly all that I put on my plate and usually take a little home too.  So tasty and delicious.  My third Thanksgiving meal was usually with the Dotters and my Grandpa always makes this lovely cornbread stuffing usually with interesting things in it (sometimes interesting things he calls pork and turn out to be other things....).    Last year, My Grandpa was running  a bit late so my Mom and I started on stuffing prep without him and the recipe goes something like this.

Ingredients:
Bread (see below for explanation/amounts of each item)
Onions
Celery
Carrot (Optional - also consider mushrooms, apples, cranberries, water chestnuts, garlic, etc)
Sage (or herb of choice -- consider rosemary, parsley, thyme, etc...)
Chicken stock
Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
Salt
Pepper


(My apologies Roxanna that this is a tiny bit vague, but rest assured this is one of those sort of dishes where perfection is not required).

1.  Gather the bread of your choice.  We made a cornbread for a portion of ours.  I prefer that the cornbread be less than 50% of the total bread.  My Grandpa, generally, prefers closer to 75%, but as I was was the one prepping we went with a lower ratio.  The remaining bread was chunks of bread we had left over.  Some of it was from french bread/baguettes, I suspect there was probably some left over hot dog buns or sandwich bread.  The key is that you pick breads that you like and that you have at least three kinds to get the complexity of flavor.  I would say that the very minimum amount would be four cups (for maybe 2-3 people) our group is much larger so we multiply accordingly.

2.  Cut bread into cubes and toast.  Basically put it on cookie sheets in a hot oven (maybe 450 degrees) for 10 minutes or so stirring occasionally.  You are looking for the bread to dry out and turn lightly brown in places. (When bread is toasted, turn the oven down to 375 for the stuffing)

3.  Meanwhile, chop (or if you like it smaller dice) onions, celery, carrots and garlic.  For a small batch probably one small onion, two stalks of celery and one carrot.  Multiple up accordingly.  I put a tiny bit of garlic in mine, but many do not.  It is really up to you.  You might consider other veggies such as peppers or water chestnuts or fruits like apples or dried cranberries in the mix here if you are feeling adventurous.

4.  Gather herbs of your choice.  In our case, my mom has herbs growing just outside the door so we get very fresh ones.  The typical choice would be sage and thyme. Either dry or fresh. If you have fresh a couple tablespoons is great if you are using dry then half that.

5. Saute the vegetables in a few tablespoons of butter in a large stock pot. (Two Tablespoons for small batch up to eight or so for a large batch).  Taking time here will really enhance the flavor of the dish.  I would recommend moderate heat and frequent stirring for about 15 minutes.  We are looking for a hit of color and everything to be soft and fragrant.  (If you are adding apples or mushrooms to the mix it is good to toss them into this saute a bit later in the cooking cycle, but they will be more flavorful for having joined the party here).

6. Add any herbs you like finely minced to the pot and cook briefly until you begin to smell the herbs.

7. Add the bread to the herbs and vegetables mix.  Stir thoroughly to mix and coat the bread with the toasted bread mixture with the butter, herbs and savory vegetables.  If you are adding dried cranberries or other additions such as meat that did not get sauteed in step five this is the time for those.

8. Begin to add the chicken stock a 1/2 a cup or so at a time.  This is where things get a little more subjective.  I, for example, like my stuffing rather wet.  Others, often prefer to have the bread retain its shape more clearly.  Roughly, I would say one cup minimum probably four cups or so for a large batch.  Mix very gently so as not to break up the bread too much.  Then taste.  Does it have full flavor or sort of just still taste like bread? If it needs more flavor, consider first adding salt and more of the herbs you've been using along with some pepper.  If it still isn't quite the Thanksgiving flavor you were thinking of try this secret from the Bison kitchens that I adopted last year: Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce  This is essentially, concentrated flavorings meant to enhance the flavor of gravy, but I think makes for extra flavorful stuffing as well.   It does not take very much of this so I recommend a light touch.

9.  Once you are satisfied with the flavor, pour the mix into a greased pan (I use two 9x13 pans, but if you are doing a small version 8x8 would work well).  Cook the stuffing for 20 minutes or so at 375 degrees.  You are looking for a slight crust to form and maybe a bit of browning, but not for it to dry out entirely.  (Hint-- should your stuffing get too dry you can add some moisture back with gravy or remaining chicken stock that is already hot).

10.  Serve and be happy.

Last year, my Grandpa came in around the mix and tasting phase and we, of course, tinkered a lot as my Grandpa and I are wont to do.  We very much enjoy playing with flavors and perfecting things.  We are, as you can see, much less committed to writing things down precisely.  (You can read a more precise version from the Pioneer Woman here).This is a general feel for how it goes, but the short message is this:  Dry out some bread, add some sauteed onions and celery along with sage and chicken broth, cook briefly and enjoy.    Stuffing isn't part of the meal to stress about, but it can clearly be a way to build flavors and memories together.

Thanks to Roxanna for taking me down memory lane through one of my favorite family foods.  Thanks also to everyone that suggested recipes.  You can find them in the comments of this post.  I have yet to be given any assignments for this year, but will let you know what I end up making, hopefully in advance.  I feel like I will almost certainly be making pies and am just beginning to look for some recipes.  Such a tasty season!