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[Serina]

Hi All

I need a good ol stuffing recipe for my Turkey this Xmas. I'm stuck, and as I generally don't like stuffing much, my imagination leaves me to take up shop elsewhere. But...my parents are visiting, and I know they would love it!

Can anybody help?

Many many grateful thanks in advance!

Serina

[demartino]

Hey, Serina. Basic stuffing's pretty easy. Here's what I'd do: Take a loaf or two of bread and let it sit out overnight, then cube it into 1/2" squares. You'll need about 7 cups. Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter over medium heat and throw in 1 chopped onion (there's no greater smell in the world than onions frying in butter, by the way) and 2 stalks of celery, chopped, and sweat for about 5-8 minutes, until soft. Next, add salt and dried spices like sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, etc... to taste. Then add in the bread cubes; stir to coat evenly. Add a little chicken stock just to make the whole thing cohesive. Set aside; then when you're ready to prep the bird, remove the giblets, clean the cavity, and stuff it thoroughly.

Lately, though, stuffing poultry is becoming a no-no because of bacterial concerns. Stuffing the bird makes it take longer to cook, potentially drying out the white meat. Plus, poultry needs to be cooked to 170 degrees MINIMUM to eliminate bacteria, and the stuffing needs to be cooked to 140 MINIMUM for the same reason. But for the stuffing to get to 140 while inside the bird, you run the risk of completely drying out the bird.

Alternatively, you can make the stuffing, but instead of putting it in the bird, put it in a casserole dish, add more chicken stock (or drippings from the bird, if you have them) to make it more moist. Then cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for a while, an hour or so. Stir a couple of times, and keep an eye on it that it's not drying out. At the end, if it's too mushy for you, take the foil off and let bake until the residual moisture is gone. This is a safer way to go.

And finally, if you want to jazz it up a little, saute and slice up some sweet Italian sausage, slice up some apples, and toss into the mixture.

Wow. I didn't mean to be this long-winded. Hope this helps.

Jason

[Serina]

Wow that sounds like an awesome recipe, AND I got a healthy kitchen/cooking tip. Thank you soooo much. I thought it was going to be incredibly difficult, but that's because I've never touched it!.

Thanks heaps again
Serina