A side dish of home-made stuffing is as important to a Thanksgiving feast as the traditional turkey itself. Most families have some kind of recipe, likely handed down through a few generations. But if you're new to making your own stuffing, or just want to try something different this year, here are some great recipes that you will be proud to include at your dinner table.
For health reasons, it is considered safer to cook your stuffing in the oven rather than inside your turkey. You can risk food-poisoning if the interior of your turkey doesn't get hot enough, for a long enough period of time. Both recipes here are oven-baked.
Chestnut Stuffing
A nutty classic, that will compliment your Thanksgiving turkey and be the hit of your feast.
- 2 cups whole chestnuts
- 1 ½ cups margarine
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2 loaves bread, day-old and cubed
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
Directions:
- With a steady hand and sharp knife, slice the surface of the chestnuts. In a saucepan, cover nuts with water and bring to a boil. Let them cook for 25 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain off the water, peel them and chop coarsely.
- Preheat your oven to 350F. In another pot, melt margarine and then add chopped chestnuts, onion, salt, pepper, seasoning and cook for about 4 minutes. Mix with cubed bread in a medium sized baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Pour egg mixture over the bread cubes. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the surface of your stuffing is browned and crisp.
Sweet Cranberry Stuffing
You can use either fresh or dried cranberries. Stuffing made with fresh berries, will be juicier and moister. A very sweet stuffing with a hint of savoury rosemary and sage.
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups cranberries
- 2 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tbs dried sage
- 12 slices of raisin bread, toasted and cubed
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ broth (chicken or vegetable)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Cook onion in butter until soft. Stir in cranberries, brown sugar, rosemary sage, and orange juice, and heat until warmed through.
- In a mixing bowl, add mixture to toasted bread cubes. Stir to combine.
- In a greased baking dish (3 or 4 quart size), add bread mixture then pour broth over top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, covered. Then remove the lid and bake for another half hour.
Mushroom Stuffing
A variation of stuffing that uses bread crumbs instead of cubed bread. Saves you the extra work.
- 1 lbs fresh, sliced mushrooms
- 6 tbs butter
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 12 cups bread crumbs
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups apple, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
Directions:
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish, and preheat oven to 375F. In a large frying pan, sauté mushrooms, onion and celery with butter. Remove from heat and add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
- In another large bowl, stir together bread crumbs, broth and eggs. Then add the mushroom mixture along with chopped apples and parsley. Mix thoroughly and spoon out into baking dish.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes. Take off the lid, and bake for 15 more minutes to brown.
