The Ultimate Stuffing for Thanksgiving

I’m back at blogging!  Thanks for all your concerns; everything is fine here, and I hope it is by you.  I just wanted a break, giving me extra time to pursue other interests.  

Now, on to this great dish for your Thanksgiving dinner table.

I’ve tried a variety of stuffing recipes over the years, but I keep coming back to this one, an adapted version of a Chicago Tribune recipe.  It’s a recipe here on my blog that begged to be re-posted. 

Italian sausage, Honeycrisp apples, dried cherries, orange liqueur provide savory sweet flavors for the stuffing.  Even try a mixture of dried fruit.  This recipe makes a lot of stuffing ~ lucky you, should there be leftovers.

Here’s hoping you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do!

This is truly ultimate stuffing!

The Ultimate Stuffing w/Dried Cherries and Apples

Servings: 8

This is truly the ultimate stuffing. It's always a favorite on our Thanksgiving table along with the turkey! It's delicious!

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups chopped celery, with leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 Honeycrisp apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large skillet, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Sauté the celery and onion in the butter for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine the stuffing mix with the celery and onion mixture.
3. Stir in the cherries and apples.
4. Mix in 2 cups chicken broth and egg; the stuffing should be totally moistened, if not, gradually add more broth.
5. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
7. Lightly butter a 15x10x2-inch baking dish.
8. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
9. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

Notes:

This stuffing can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake and add another 10 to 15 minutes baking time, until stuffing is heated through.

Created using The Recipes Generator

ENJOY!

Ultimate Stuffing for the Holidays

The title says it all!

We may talk turkey at the Thanksgiving table but, what we really crave is stuffing or dressing, as I grew up calling it.  No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without a great stuffing.  It is definitely my favorite part of the dinner.

Regardless, what you call it; stuffing or dressing, this dish is chock-full of good flavors.  This recipe, an adapted Chicago Tribune recipe, begged to be posted again, because it is delicious!

I hope you try it and agree!

The Ultimate Stuffing w/Dried Cherries and Apples

Servings: 8

This is truly the ultimate stuffing. It's always a favorite on our Thanksgiving table along with the turkey! It's delicious!

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups chopped celery, with leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 Honeycrisp apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large skillet, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Sauté the celery and onion in the butter for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine the stuffing mix with the celery and onion mixture.
3. Stir in the cherries and apples.
4. Mix in 2 cups chicken broth and egg; the stuffing should be totally moistened, if not, gradually add more broth.
5. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
7. Lightly butter a 15x10x2-inch baking dish.
8. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
9. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

Notes:

This stuffing can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake and add another 10 to 15 minutes baking time, until stuffing is heated through.

Created using The Recipes Generator

It is the ultimate!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes. 

Take a minute, and go here to enter a great giveaway from Hickory Farms!  It’s filled with delicious goodies you’ll like!

Dressing or Stuffing with Variations

Growing up on the farm in Pickerington, Ohio, it was always dressing; never stuffing, and it stayed dressing, after moving to Louisville later.  It never had cornbread in it. 

 

Here’s the scoop (I think!):  If it’s not cooked in the bird, it’s dressing ~ if it is cooked in the bird, it’s stuffing.  Sometimes I stuff the bird, sometimes I don’t, and other times, I do both; but it’s all dressing to me.

Last weekend, I made an early Thanksgiving dinner for some people we were happy to have visit.  Along with all the usual Thanksgiving dishes, I wanted to try this recipe from Christopher Kimball’s, The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook.  This is one of my favorite cookbooks, sort of unique as it is filled with old farmhouse “receipts” which are in the spirit of farmhouse cooking ~ using simple ingredients, simply prepared, and updated, or not, by Keller. 

This is a basic country dressing, made a touch more elaborate with the addition of apples and dried cherries.  Pecans, walnuts, or almonds, may be added, as well as chestnuts, prunes, raisins or browned sausage meat.  As it only takes a half-hour to bake, it can be put in the oven at the point when the turkey is done, since the bird has to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

I will be making this again on Thanksgiving Day! 

Oven-ready

 

Poultry Dressing

Adapted

Ingredients:

4 cups homemade bread cubes, rice, cornbread or barley

4 tablespoons butter

1½ cups chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup scallions or chives

1½ cups dried cherries, or raisins, apples or prunes

½ cup pecans, or walnuts, toasted (optional)

½ pound sausage meat, crumbled and browned

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage, thyme or oregano

¼ cup white wine

¼ to ¾ cup chicken broth, do not use so much as to make it mushy

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat butter in a skillet and sauté onions for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add celery and scallions; sauté for 2 minutes.

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.

Be light with the liquid, starting out with only ¼ cup broth.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a 2-quart baking dish and add dressing.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove foil and for an addition 15 minutes or until the dressing is brown and crisp on top.

ENJOY!!!

Just what do you serve on Thanksgiving ~ stuffing or dressing?

Simply Stuffed Pork Chops

The butcher had thick meaty pork chops on display the other day, which were begging me to stuff them and bake them, so I eagerly obliged.

This is a savory bread stuffing, that helps the chops retain their moistness, making them tender when baked.  They’re easy to prepare, they make a great presentation, and most everyone thinks they’re delicious. 

During the holidays, I might add dried cherries, chopped apples, Triple Sec, Italian sausage and maybe even chopped pecans. Stuffed pork chops are simple for everyday fare, and special enough for guests.  Juicy thick-cut stuffed pork chops…yum!

Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

4 (1½ inch thick) pork chops

2 cups bread crumbs

¼ cup chopped onions

¼ cup chopped celery

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

1/8 to ¼ cup vegetable broth

Method:

Melt butter in a medium hot skillet and add celery and onions.

Sauté until soft.

Remove from heat and add seasonings, combining well.

Mix in breadcrumbs and pour a small amount of broth in, stirring well, until the mixture is slightly soft. 

With a thin-bladed knife, slice horizontally through the pork chop, about ¾ of the way, making a pocket and leaving the sides intact.

Divide the stuffing into fourths and stuff each chop.

Place in a baking dish that is coated with cooking spray, or lightly oiled.

Cover tightly with foil to keep them from drying out.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, removing foil during last 10 minutes to allow chops to brown slightly. 

Serve

This is a simple hearty meal!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes! 

Ultimate Thanksgiving Stuffing

We may talk turkey at the Thanksgiving table but, what we really crave is stuffing or dressing, as I grew up calling it.  No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without a great stuffing.  It is definitely my favorite part of the dinner.

The recipe is an adapted Chicago Tribune recipe and is a re-post from when I first started this blog ~ I want to share it again as it is the absolute best stuffing that my family and I love. It has honors as our traditional stuffing.  By adding Italian sausage, apples, pecans and Triple Sec, it is a moist and flavorful stuffing ~ distinctive from all others.

Just one bite of this delicious stuffing will be enough for a chorus of “aahs” around the dinner table – it’s that good!  Give it a try and it could be your traditional stuffing!

It is incredibly delicious, the ultimate stuffing!

Just one bite of this delicious stuffing will be enough for a chorus of “aahs” around the dinner table --- it’s that good! 

The Ultimate Stuffing w/Dried Cherries and Apples

Servings: 8

This is truly the ultimate stuffing. It's always a favorite on our Thanksgiving table along with the turkey! It's delicious!

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups chopped celery, with leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 Honeycrisp apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large skillet, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Sauté the celery and onion in the butter for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine the stuffing mix with the celery and onion mixture.
3. Stir in the cherries and apples.
4. Mix in 2 cups chicken broth and egg; the stuffing should be totally moistened, if not, gradually add more broth.
5. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
7. Lightly butter a 15x10x2-inch baking dish.
8. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
9. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

Notes:

This stuffing can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake and add another 10 to 15 minutes baking time, until stuffing is heated through.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cornbread Stuffing

 

This is a great way to dress up butternut squash! 

I love stuffing, especially during the holidays this time of year.  This recipe is not the stuffing I make to stuff the turkey ~ I’ll post that next week.  However, this could be increased and would work fine for Thanksgiving dinner as a turkey stuffing or as a vegetarian entrée with the squash.

This is a simple side dish that is filled with good dried cranberries and raisins, fresh sage and parsley, along with pecans and crumbled cornbread.  You can make the cornbread a couple of days ahead of time or even buy it at the market.  Then combine all the ingredients, fill the squash and bake.  It’s delicious and a perfect match for acorn or butternut squash. 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 small to medium butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup golden raisins

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

½ cup vegetable broth

3 tablespoons pecans, chopped

1½ cups baked and crumbled cornbread

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.

Brush cut sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Place cut side down on baking sheet.

Roast until tender, about 25 minutes.

Soak dried fruit in hot water 10 minutes.

Drain and discard liquid.  Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion and garlic, sauté 5 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients with onion mixture.

Place cornbread stuffing into each squash half.

Return squash to oven and bake about 20 minutes, until stuffing is well heated and golden brown on top.

Makes about 2½ cups stuffing.

It’s simply delicious!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Mom’s Chicken Casserole and CUMC

Not a pretty picture, but good to eat!

Every month at our church, Cary United Methodist Church, the women's "Dorcas Circle" gathers for a luncheon and meeting.  This month was my turn to prepare the main entrée and I chose this chicken casserole to make for them.

They’re a great group of women whom always have a fun time talking, laughing, enjoying lunch together and then settling down for the program.  Pastor Shirley joins us when time permits and we were honored with her presence on this day. 

This chicken casserole will rise to the occasion as a great entrée for a crowd or for a perfect dinner at home every time.  It’s Mom’s recipe, not sure of the origin, but I’ve made it for years and we love it.   This dish is tasty with the succulent chicken pieces and the savory stuffing mix; containing flavors most everyone will enjoy. 

It has to be made ahead of time and allowed to refrigerate over night.  A lot of times when I still worked, I made it on the weekend, froze it, set it in the refrigerator the morning of serving day ~ then after work just popped the casserole in the oven for dinner.  Easy, easy! 

It’s a hearty casserole that I bet your family would enjoy for dinner like we do!  I think the women in the Dorcas Circle enjoyed it also as it was about all eaten.  It’s perfect comfort food for this time of year!

The goods

Ready for the oven

Voila!

Mom’s Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

4 large boneless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

8 ounce package herb-seasoned stuffing mix

½ cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons pimento

½ teaspoon pepper

Method:

Cook chicken in simmering water until tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from broth.

Strain broth, reserving 2-2/3 cups.

Cut meat into bite-size pieces.

Combine chicken soup with half the broth.  Mix well.  Set aside.

Combine mushroom soup with remaining broth.  Mix well.  Set aside.

Combine stuffing mix, butter, pimentos and pepper, reserve ¼ cup for garnish.

Spoon half of remaining stuffing mix into a greased 13” x 9” baking dish.

Top with half of the chicken.

Cover with chicken soup mixture.

Place remaining chicken over top.

Pour mushroom soup mixture over layers.

Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mixture for garnish.

Cover and refrigerate over-night.

Remove 15 minutes before baking and uncover.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until well heated.  Do not under-bake.

Serves 8-10

It’s a savory delicious chicken dish!

          

There’s still time to enter the CSN Stores giveaway that I posted on October 8^th!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!