|
Baking Corner
| Regional
Foods | Cooking
Articles
|
Hints & Tips
| Culinary
Dictionary
|
Newspaper
Columns
Whether you call it
"stuffing" or "dressing," what's not to love about turkey stuffing? Everyone
knows that stuffing is the best part of a turkey dinner! Turkey stuffing is one of
my favorite dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. Don't be afraid of
making turkey stuffing or dressing (whatever your region of the county
calls it). It is so easy to prepare. Also be creative - add your
family's favorite ingredients. The following recipe is how I basically
make my turkey stuffing.
Don't forget to check out my
Thanksgiving Turkey dinner menu which includes Linda's Turkey Stuffing.
Turkey Stuffing Recipe -Turkey Dressing Recipe - How To Make Turkey Stuffing
Recipe Type:
Poultry,
Oven Roasted Turkey,
Thanksgiving Turkey,
Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
Yields: enough to stuff a 20-pound turkey
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients:
The below recipe is a only a guideline for making your turkey stuffing. Depending on your family's taste,
add or delete ingredients (onions, celery, mushrooms, and or nuts) to make to your liking. Be creative!
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 large
onion, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 loaf day-old bread, toasted and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10-12 cups)
1
egg, beaten
Stock from the turkey giblets and/or chicken broth (approximately 1 to 2 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Salt and freshly-ground
pepper to taste
Dried crushed
sageto taste
Dried crushed
thyme to taste
Preparation:
To make turkey giblet stock, place the turkey giblets (giblets and neck), water, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat; bring to a
simmer and simmer for about 1 hour, uncovered. Remove from heat and strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing.
Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.
In a large pot (large enough to hold all the prepared stuffing) over medium-high heat, melt butter or margarine.
Add onion, celery and mushrooms; sauté until soft.
Mix in bread cubes and egg with enough chicken broth to moisten. Add nuts, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme;
stir until well blended. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment.
Proceed to stuff turkey in your usual way. NOTE: Do not cool the stuffing. Spoon it directly
into the turkey cavity right after preparation. Stuff the turkey loosely — about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.
Check out
Advice on Stuffing a Turkey Safely.
Immediately place the stuffed, raw turkey in an oven set no lower than 325 degrees F. To cook your stuffed turkey, check out
Guidelines For Roasting a Whole Turkey.
The USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165 degrees F. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a
meat thermometer
 This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Makes enough to stuff a 20-pound turkey
Variations:
If you plan to prepare
stuffing using raw meat, poultry, or shellfish, you should cook the
ingredients before stuffing the turkey to reduce the risk of food borne
illness from bacteria that may be found in raw ingredients.
The wet ingredients for stuffing can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.
However, do not mix wet and dry ingredients until just before spooning
the stuffing mixture into the turkey cavity.
Check out Linda helpful hints and tips on preparing your holiday turkey dinner:
| 
