Stuffing and Other Thanksgiving stuff

[Karin]

Ya know Mike_C the bugman from the DUmp who hates the military?  He posted his stuffing recipe:

mike_c  (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-23-11 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
5. I'm heading out for buttermilk and cornmeal right now!
 I use cornbread, sausage, dried cherries, pecans, onions and celery, beaten eggs, sage and thyme, moistened with a little stock and milk (and a little duck fat if it's not cooked inside the bird). Time to go to the grocery store!

I don't care for cornbread stuffing.  It's like gritty.  And I really, really don't like dried cherries in anything, nor pecans when I least expect them. 

I know women who start cutting up bread for their stuffing a week in advance.  They agonize over it.  Meh.  As my mom once said, "I can't improve on Pepperidge Farm." 

[thundley4]

My sister will be making homemade dressing, but my wife uses Stove Top Stuffing and it's fine with me.

[Eupher]

For me, besides the classic flavor, it's all about the texture - and I agree that cornbread stuffing ain't my favorite.

But I absolutely HATE white bread too.

Give me some challah bread, which is an eggy-type lighter bread, I think of Jewish origin. In short, I like Alton Brown's approach, but I can also dispense with the nuts and dried fruit. I like my dressing (not stuffing, as I don't even THINK of stuffing the bird) spoonable, but not so moist that the bread becomes a gloppy, soupy, glob of stuff that sinks like a rock in your gut. It should have a looser texture, without the grainyness of cornbread.

Just gimme some sage, garlic, onions, celery, chopped fresh Italian parsley, stock, some morels, egg, the bread, and a 350 oven for about 45 minutes.

[Chris_]

My mother usually buys a loaf of unsliced wheat bread from the deli, along with sausage (some kind of Jimmy Dean, possibly sage) and a few other things.  It's really good.

[Karin]

Another topic:  This is how my grandmother taught me to make gravy. 

Remove bird, let rest obviously.  Pour off all but say, 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the grease.  Try not to pour out any browned bits. 

Get your liquid mixed with Wondra together and whisked around.  Have right on hand.  Also have your turkey stock (made by simmering the neck and junk during roasting time) on hand. 

Now, stand there while the pan heats up on the stove on med to high heat.  Watch while it browns.  Do not walk away.  Pick up your stock, and just at the moment that you are scared, pour in stock.  Whisk up browned bits.  Bring to boil, turn heat down, then whisk in the flour mixture in a non-hot spot of pan, whisking the whole time.  Salt & pepper.

 

[Eupher]

Uh....Karin?

Can you quantify that "moment you are scared", please?

I'm asking for a friend....

 

[CG6468]

A VERY old family recipe for stuffing.

TURKEY STUFFING

1 stick butter                    1 pound pork sausage - ground
12-ounce dry corn bread stuffing mix   3 cups onions - chopped
1 ½ cup canned chicken broth      2 cups celery - chopped
2 cups bell pepper – chopped      1 cup green onions - chopped
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper           2 tsp fresh thyme - chopped
1 tsp dried rubbed sage

Those are the ingredients. Here is the action. Melt butter over medium heat and then add sausage cooking until brown and done. Add onions, celery peppers and cover until they are tender. Stir occasionally. Add green onions, thyme, and sage. Transfer to large bowl.

Stir stuffing mix into the same bowl and add salt as needed. Loosely fill main turkey cavity and add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broth to stuffing. Cook turkey as usual.  Extra stuffing can be cooked separately but add more broth as it will not be absorbing any juices from the turkey.

I'd rather use something besides corn bread, though.

[Karin]

Uh....Karin?

Can you quantify that "moment you are scared", please?

I'm asking for a friend....

 

Talk about late back to a thread!  It's that moment when you think you're going to start a housefire.  Just at that second where it's deeply brown...ominously so....smack it with the stock.  Rich, rich flavor. 

[debk]

Talk about late back to a thread!  It's that moment when you think you're going to start a housefire.  Just at that second where it's deeply brown...ominously so....smack it with the stock.  Rich, rich flavor. 

I'm even later to this thread 


I used to cut up the bread and dry it out myself, but since I've been able to find the Pepperidge Farm cubes of white and wheat, I use it.

I saute onions (about 3 mid-size, chopped small in food processor), half of a bunch of celery, (also chopped fine), 3 or 4 cans (drained) of sliced mushrooms, in 3 sticks of butter. Add some chopped garlic and parsley and lots of black pepper.

In a saucepan, I heat up 2 of the boxes of chicken broth.

Pour the vegetable mix over 2 packages of stuffing mix. Stir up really well, then start adding the warmed chicken broth, until completely moistened. Add some more sage, taste check. Then let sit a couple of minutes and add more broth a bit at a time so I don't end up with a goopy mess. Taste check a couple of times. Put in a Pyrex lasagne dish and let set. I put it in oven at 325 for about 45 minutes. I also will take about a cup or so of the juices from the turkey (which is already done), and pour over it right before I stick it in the oven.

Any left over chicken broth gets added to the gravy.

I take the turkey neck and gizzards and put them with chicken broth, a cut up onion, some thyme, parsley and black pepper and let them simmer together from the time the turkey goes into the oven. When it comes time to make the gravy, I use the strained broth, clean the meat off the turkey neck, and toss the rest into the garbage. I use the broth and some of the juices from the turkey (I cook it in a roasting bag) for my gravy and also add the meat from the turkey neck to the gravy.

[Wineslob]

I'm even later to this thread 


I used to cut up the bread and dry it out myself, but since I've been able to find the Pepperidge Farm cubes of white and wheat, I use it.

I saute onions (about 3 mid-size, chopped small in food processor), half of a bunch of celery, (also chopped fine), 3 or 4 cans (drained) of sliced mushrooms, in 3 sticks of butter. Add some chopped garlic and parsley and lots of black pepper.

In a saucepan, I heat up 2 of the boxes of chicken broth.

Pour the vegetable mix over 2 packages of stuffing mix. Stir up really well, then start adding the warmed chicken broth, until completely moistened. Add some more sage, taste check. Then let sit a couple of minutes and add more broth a bit at a time so I don't end up with a goopy mess. Taste check a couple of times. Put in a Pyrex lasagne dish and let set. I put it in oven at 325 for about 45 minutes. I also will take about a cup or so of the juices from the turkey (which is already done), and pour over it right before I stick it in the oven.

Any left over chicken broth gets added to the gravy.

I take the turkey neck and gizzards and put them with chicken broth, a cut up onion, some thyme, parsley and black pepper and let them simmer together from the time the turkey goes into the oven. When it comes time to make the gravy, I use the strained broth, clean the meat off the turkey neck, and toss the rest into the garbage. I use the broth and some of the juices from the turkey (I cook it in a roasting bag) for my gravy and also add the meat from the turkey neck to the gravy.

I love you.

 

[debk]

I love you.

 

Oh baby! 





Health(y) food does not belong in a diet between Thanksgiving and January 2. 

[Eupher]

Oh baby! 





Health(y) food does not belong in a diet between Thanksgiving and January 2. 

This announcement brought to you by Land O' Lakes butter. Unsalted, of course. Gotta watch the salt intake.