Thyme and Portobello Un-Stuffing

Ingredients:
25 slices torn sandwich bread
2 large onions, diced
1 bunch celery, diced
1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced parsley
4 portobello mushroom caps, diced
1 teaspoon white pepper


Directions:

In a large pan, saute celery, mushrooms and onions in butter and olive oil over very low heat until the onions are translucent. Do not brown. Add to bread cubes in bowl and add the spices and herbs.

Combine with egg and broth. Form medium-sized balls. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to overnight.


Place balls in the bottom of the roasting pan under the rack and around the turkey (or chicken) on the rack for the last 1/2 hour of roasting and cook until cooked through.


Yield: 8-10 servings

My thoughts:

I love stuffing. Sometimes I make a whole turkey or chicken just so I can make stuffing. Of course, this is technically not "stuffing" but it is way better than the in-a-separate-dish "dressing" people make. It is the best of both worlds: infused with juices from the turkey and crispy around the edges. Yum, yum, yum. My mom made stuffing this way growing up but much plainer. The herbs and meaty mushrooms add a lot to the awesomeness. My brother was so enthralled by it, he packed a baggie full of stuffing scraps to take home.

Also pictured:
slow cooked sauerkraut
hot pepper butternut squash
fig glazed turkey
herbed green & wax beans

Oyster (un)Stuffing

Ingredients:
25 slices torn sandwich bread
1 pint shucked oysters, drained (reserve liquid)
2 large onions, diced (about 1 lb)
1 bunch celery, diced (about 1 lb)
1 bunch parsley, minced
1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon sea salt
zest of one lemon


Directions:
In a large pan, saute celery and onions in butter and olive oil over very low heat until the onions are translucent. Do not brown. Allow to cool slightly. Add to bread cubes in bowl and add spices, zest and parsley. Combine with egg, oysters and broth. Add oyster liquor to further moisten if necessary. Form medium-sized balls. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Place balls in the bottom of the roasting pan under the rack and around the turkey on the rack for the last 1/2 hour of roasting.



Yield: 8-10 servings

My thoughts:

I've always heard about oyster stuffing and its popularity, especially here in the mid-Atlantic but never actually had it until I made this. I grew up eating a more basic stuffing but as an adult I've branched out a bit while still making the stuffing into balls and arranging them around the turkey. It really is the best way to get the flavor of the turkey without compromising the cooking time or safety of the turkey. Anyway, I am not sure what traditional ingredients are in oyster stuffing besides oysters so I added my favorites, celery seed and lemon zest along with some basic seasonings. I loved it. The oysters added a great flavor and made the stuffing seem extra special and worth the effort. Not to mention it was a great excuse to buy some local, Chesapeake Bay oysters which I always appreciate.

Rosemary and Sage Stuffing Balls

Ingredients:
25 slices torn sandwich bread
2 large onions, diced
1 bunch celery, diced
1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 oz fresh sage, torn
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
1 teaspoon white pepper


Directions:



In a large pan, saute celery, mushrooms and onions in butter and olive oil over very low heat until the onions are translucent. Do not brown. Add to bread cubes in bowl and add seasoning. Combine with egg and broth. Form medium-sized balls. Refrigerate until ready to use.


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


Yield: 8-10 servings

My thoughts:

I made this stuffing when I made my sage roasted chicken but it easily is enough to serve with turkey instead. I love making stuffing balls because you can place them in the roasting pan to absorb the juices (but not all of them, there is often enough leftover to make gravy with) without having to actually stuff the bird which can lead to bacteria growth and food poisoning. It is really my favorite part of roasting a chicken or turkey. In fact I often roast a chicken or an extra turkey during the Winter just so I have an excuse to make (and consume!) vast amounts of stuffing. This particular stuffing is a herby variation on the stuffing my family serves at the holidays. The flavors of the sage and rosemary, while present, are mellowed by the roasting.

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.

Pecan "Stuffing"

Ingredients:

1 � cups chopped onions
1 � cups chopped celery
� cup parsley
� cup pecans, chopped
about 25 slices bread, torn
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon celery seed
� cup chicken or turkey stock

Directions:

In a large pan, saut� celery and onions in the butter until translucent. Do not brown. Add to bread cubes in bowl and add sage, celery seed, poultry season, parsley and pecans. Combine with egg and broth and form medium sized balls. Place balls in the bottom of the roasting pan underneath the chicken/turkey and on the rack for about the last � hour of baking and cook until cooked through.

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My thoughts:

This year we went to my mom�s house for Thanksgiving, that�s nice, but we missed the opportunity to make our own food. So we bought a turkey and spent the day recreating Thanksgiving. I made this stuffing that is similar to what my mom traditionally makes. In my family, we don�t stuff the turkey or bake dressing in a dish. We made little balls of stuffing and arrange them around the turkey towards the end of the cooking time. You get the flavor of the bird without the risks of stuffing or the tendency towards dryness of dressing. Plus they are already in individual serving sizes, so it makes serving a breeze.

Onion and Celery Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 � cups chopped onions
1 � cups chopped celery
1/3 cup butter
8 cups bread cubes (about 20 slices bread, torn)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
� cup water

Directions:
In a large pan, saute celery 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 chicken/turkey on the rack for about the last � hour of baking and cook until cooked through.

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