Stuffed!!!

Few folks leave the Thanksgiving dinner table without feeling absolutely stuffed! We sit down to a feast unparalleled on any other holiday and often with friends and family we only get to see a few times a year.

It’s rare that Thanksgiving Dinner is served without a side of “stuffing” as we often refer to it up north or “dressing” as it’s called south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Regardless of the name - as you sit there all “dressed” up – you’re sure to leave the table feeling “stuffed”!

There are many regional and ethnic variations on stuffing, but as a general rule most recipes call for dry or day-old bread, sautéed vegetables such as celery and onions, herbs and seasonings, meat (or other protein) and some stock or eggs to bind it all together. It’s a very forgiving side dish that allows for creativity.

My childhood stuffing was very simple, made with sausage meat, celery, onions, Pepperidge Farm stuffing cubes, water and “poultry seasoning.” Despite the fact that it wasn’t an elegant presentation - but looked more like a rustic pâté - I still love the taste for the fond memories it evokes.

These days our Thanksgiving table is composed of several families with three generations of friends who have become “family” over dozens of years. Throughout that time we’ve witnessed many variations of “stuffings” as the younger generation went through their culinary phases of vegetarian or vegan while the older generation espoused the virtues of non-dairy or non-carb diets.

I’ve always wondered why stuffing is such a big deal on Thanksgiving but people hesitate to serve it on other occasions. I hope to inspire you with the recipes I present here – traditional, oyster and vegetarian - delicious additions to your Thanksgiving table and throughout the year. There are many variations to stuffing so feel free to add whatever ingredients you find particularly delicious! At the end of this article I’ve listed a few suggestions for other ingredients you can use to create your own special recipe.

For each of these recipes the basic process will be the same. It is extremely important to toast/dry the bread cubes, or they will absorb too much liquid and turn to mush.

• Cut bread into ½” cubes (hard crusts removed) and toast in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes
• Sauté the meat (if using) until browned, set aside
• Sauté the vegetables until soft, mix in the herbs
• Toss bread, meat and vegetables together
• Add broth – 1 cup at a time - until moist, but not mushy
• Bake until lightly browned

Traditional

This recipe is perfect with the Thanksgiving turkey, but also pairs well with pork roast or lamb.

1 loaf country-style (hearty) bread, cut into ½ inch cubes, toasted
1 pound sweet Italian sausage meat, crumbled
1 cup each: diced celery and diced onions
Olive oil or butter for sautéing
3 cups low-sodium chicken, or turkey stock (or water, if you prefer)
2 tablespoons each: fresh rosemary and sage finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Sauté the onions and celery in a little olive oil or butter, until soft but not browned
2. Stir in the rosemary and thyme (or you can alternatively use 2 teaspoons of “poultry seasoning”)
3. In a large pan, cook the sausage meat, periodically breaking up with a wooden spoon until fully browned.
4. In a large bowl combine the bread cubes, meat and vegetables.
5. Add the stock (or water), one cup at a time, and stir gently.
6. Taste for seasoning. Your stuffing should be very flavorful, not too salty. Depending on the stock and meat you used, you may want to add some salt and pepper.
7. Put the stuffing into a glass baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
8. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for 10 additional minutes, until browned.

Oyster

Many folks in coastal communities opt for an oyster-based, rather than sausage-based stuffing. The difference here is that you add some cornbread to the mix, the perfect sweet balance to the briny oysters. Use the recipe throughout the year with baked fish such as tilapia.

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into ½ inch cubes, toasted
1½ cups cornbread, cubed (or crumbled) and toasted
1 cup each: diced celery, diced onions, diced carrots
Olive oil or butter for sautéing
2 (8 oz.) cans of oysters, drained (liquid reserved)
3 cups vegetable stock (or water) - or - use 2 cups stock and 1-cup clam juice or the reserved oyster juice if you prefer
1 teaspoon fresh thyme and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
Pepper, to taste

1. Sauté the onions, celery and carrots in a little olive oil or butter, until soft but not browned
2. Stir in the thyme and parsley
3. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, drained oysters and vegetables.
4. Add the stock (or water), one cup at a time, and stir gently.
5. Taste for seasoning. Your stuffing should be very flavorful, not too salty. Depending on the stock, you may want to add some pepper.
6. Put the stuffing into a glass baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
7. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for 5 additional minutes until browned.

Vegetarian/Vegan

This recipe calls for an abundance of vegetables, including mushrooms, to give depth to the dish. If you’re not a mushroom fan, just add additional sautéed vegetables to compensate. This stuffing can be used whenever you find yourself with an abundance of vegetables such as peppers, eggplants or zucchini – just stuff and bake!

1 loaf sourdough bread, cut into ½ inch cubes, toasted
1 cup each (diced): celery, onions, carrots and bell pepper
1 cup sliced button or portabella mushrooms
Olive oil for sautéing
¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup walnut pieces
2 to 3 cups vegetable stock (or water if you prefer)
2 tablespoons each: fresh rosemary, thyme and sage, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and bell pepper in a little olive oil, until soft, but not browned. Set aside.
2. Sauté the mushrooms in a little oil until they give up their juices and begin to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the sautéed vegetables and herbs.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, and vegetable mixture.
4. Stir in the cranberries and nuts.
5. Add the stock (or water), one cup at a time, and stir gently. You may need more, or less, liquid depending on how soft and moist your vegetables are.
6. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Put the stuffing into a glass-baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
8. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for 10 additional minutes, until browned.

A few last thoughts…

I’ve set up these recipes to bake the stuffing in a pan, not within the turkey. Some say this is the difference between “stuffing” (in the turkey) and “dressing” (baked in a separate pan). Cooking the stuffing inside the turkey cavity is delicious, but can be a bit tricky as the temperature of the stuffing must reach a temperature of 165° which means that the temperature of the turkey thigh (where you insert the thermometer) would have reached about 180° before the stuffing is fully cooked. If you continue to cook until the stuffing is a safe temperature, then your turkey could be dry and overdone. Unless you are an experienced cook, err on the side of caution and bake the stuffing separately.

Let your palate be your guide when deciding what to add to your own special stuffing recipe! Just be careful to watch the proportions of sautéed vegetables/toasted bread cubes/liquid to make sure your stuffing doesn’t come out to dry, or too mushy. Just like Goldilocks, you want it “just right!”

The variations are endless, but here are some other ingredients you might want to try:

• Chopped artichoke hearts
• Sautéed fennel, leeks or butternut squash
• Pecan pieces
• Granny Smith apples or pears
• Dried currants or raisins
• Chicken livers or giblets
• Spicy Andouille or chourico sausage, casing removed
• Can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Lemon zest
• Fennel seeds, finely minced
• White wine (replacing some of the stock or water)

As we gather with friends and family this year, we are thankful for all that we have and for the beauty that surrounds us here in the Berkshires.