Thanksgiving Day Preparations — Stuffing
No, I’m not really starting any solid preparations for Thanksgiving – yet.
I AM starting to mull it over in my mind, though. And I have – just yesterday – invited guests. Living far from our extended family, we have usually done Thanksgiving on our own. Okay, one year we made the drive back to Ohio, another year, we visited my sis in Tulsa. So, in the five years (this will be our sixth Thanksgiving in Texas) we have done Turkey Day on our own three times.
This year I decided it is silly to bake all of that food just for us. So I asked some new friends, who are far away from their relatives also, to join us.
All this week and sporadically until Thanksgiving, I will be mentioning tried-and-true favorites, as well as possible new choices to shake things up a bit. We’ll start with stuffing….
As a kid, stuffing was my favorite part of Thanksgiving. That and dinner rolls, both of which my mother is VERY good at. I was an exceedingly picky eater and I didn’t like the potatoes, turkey, gravy, green beans, etc., etc., etc. (I cannot believe I am the same person!)
Now, I still look forward to that homemade stuffing. But, there is one problem – when you get married, you have another person with different ideas about stuffing. Pat adores Oyster Stuffing, something his mother made every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’d never heard of putting oysters in stuffing until I met him and I honestly thought that was pretty strange. Now I know that there are many different types of stuffing:
Oyster Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing
Pecan Stuffing
Sausage Stuffing
Crockpot Stuffing
… even Rice Stuffing
(I’m sure this list could go on and on)
My mother-in-law is an expert at Oyster Stuffing. Down South here, Cornbread Stuffing is traditional and they start by making homemade cornbread. I’ve tried putting toasted pecans into stuffing and loved it. Since the oven is usually in full use, you can use the crock pot to cook your stuffing in. I’ve never tried the other kinds, but I’ve got nothing against them, either.
Below is my basic recipe for stuffing. You can add to it anything you want to try. (Trust me, your husband and children will not complain if you want to test it out prior to Thanksgiving.) If you are using oysters, replace some of the chicken broth with the liquid from the oysters. Also, watch for shells, because they are usually a few in those cans. If you want to put your crock pot to use, plan on cooking the stuffing for 4 hours, at least.
Basic Turkey Stuffing
¾ c. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 t. dried parsley
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
1 t. sage
½ t. marjoram
12-13 c. dried bread cubes
2 – 2 ½ c. chicken broth
2 eggs, beaten
(My mother would toast the bread in the toaster and toss it into a large bowl for us kids to tear apart. This is a long process – start them in on it and they can tear up the bread while you do the rest.)
Saute the onion and celery in a large skillet in the butter until the onion is clear and soft. Add the seasonings and remove from heat.
Toss everything together in a large bowl. Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan or your crock pot, or whatever empty dish/dishes you have left in your cupboards.
Enjoy!
Add comment October 26th, 2006