Happy Thanksgiving! Old School Turkey Stuffing

Traditional bread stuffing two ways: Inside the turkey or outside the turkey

This recipe will stuff a 14-16 lb. turkey. If your turkey is smaller, just bake the leftover stuffing in a 9x13 oven-proof dish.

Stuffing:

8 c. cubed bread: egg(challah), white, sour dough, corn bread. My all time favorite is half corn bread, half egg bread. Don't bother cutting the corn bread into cubes, just crumble it.

6 oz. butter (if you are stuffing the turkey), 8 oz. if the stuffing will be baked separately

1 small bunch celery, diced, leaves included, about 1 1/2 c.

1 large onion, diced

2 T. fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme & sage

2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

To make the stuffing:

Toast the bread at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.

While the bread is toasting, sweat the onions and celery in the butter on low.

After 30 minutes, add the herbs.

Always remove the leaves from herbs and discard the stems.

Mince the herbs. If you have extra, combine with salt and pepper and use as a turkey spice rub.

Add the soft celery and onions into cubed, toasted bread and season with salt and pepper.

If you are stuffing the turkey, press the loose stuffing in the front neck cavity as well as the middle of the turkey. Don't stuff the turkey the night before (this is a food safety issue). You can make the stuffing the day before and keep in the refrigerator.

If you are baking the stuffing separately you will need to add:

2 eggs, lightly mixed

2 c. chicken or vegetable stock

Bake in a buttered, oven-proof dish in which you will serve the stuffing. Cover the stuffing with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.

Additions that I think go well with this traditional stuffing:

1 1/2 c. fresh chestnuts, roasted, shelled, and chopped

1 c. toasted pecans, cut into large pieces

2 c. sliced and sauteed mushrooms: button, crimini, chanterelle

1 1/2 c. diced apples