Crimini Mushroom Unstuffing

Ingredients:
8 cups torn sandwich bread
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup water or mushroom broth
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms

Directions:
In a large pan, saute celery, mushrooms and onions in butter until translucent. Do not brown. Add to bread cubes in bowl and add seasoning. Combine with egg and water and form medium sized balls.


Place balls in the bottom of the roasting pan underneath the turkey on the rack and around the turkey on the rack for about the last 1/2 hour of baking and cook until cooked through.

My thoughts:

In my family, we didn't stuff the turkey nor did we bake the "stuffing" in a seperate dish. We made stuffing balls. Even though stuffing the turkey is back in vogue (as is stuffing under the skin) it is still my prefered method. The "stuffing" soaks up juices that run out out of the turkey and are individually proportioned for easy serving. Stuffing is my favorite part of the meal, I honestly make a turkey every year (despite going to the in-laws and not cooking on Thanksgiving) so I have an excuse to make tons and tons of stuffing. You can also halve the recipe and make it with chicken or cornish game hens.