Thanksgiving Stuffing

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is the dressing or stuffing, depending on what you call it. I love the mix of savory flavors with the crispy top and soft inside. It is also a perfect way to use up old bread.

Ingredients:

1 loaf stale Bread cut into bitesized cubes

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp Butter

3 stalks Celery chopped

1 large Onion chopped

3 Garlic cloves minced

2 tsp dried Sage

2 tbsp fresh Parsley

1 tsp dried Thyme

½ tsp dried Rosemary (optional)

2-4 cups Chicken or Vegetarian Stock or broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350℉

Dry out the bread cubes in a 350℉ oven if they are still soft.

Sautee the celery and onions in the olive oil for about 7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, and saute for about 1 minute more.

Put the bread cubes into a bowl. Add the sauteed vegetables, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix. Add the chicken stock until all of the bread is thoroughly soaked.

Transfer the bread mixture to a casserole dish, and bake covered for about 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Notes:

• Depending on how dry your bread is, you may need a little more stock.

• I love adding mushrooms to my stuffing. They add a depth of flavor, additional texture, and heartiness to the stuffing. Feel free to amp up the veggies when making the stuffing too if you want to add more flavor and texture.

• Traditionally our family also adds sausage to our stuffing. We use about a pound of mild sausage removed from its casing and browned after the vegetables are cooked.

• For richer stuffing, you can add additional butter to taste.

• Here's a wonderful discovery. My Herb Parmesan Soda Bread makes perfect bread for stuffing. The herbs in the bread mixed with the herbs for the stuffing are a perfect combination. I save extra soda bread in my freezer, already cubed and ready for stuffing.

• You can eliminate the olive oil and butter and just use stock to saute the vegetables and moisten the stuffing. Make sure it is good quality stock and not too watery.

• Want to make this gluten-free?

  • Gluten-free bread works just as well as regular bread

  • If you prefer cornbread stuffing, you can make that gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and corn meal.