Recipes by Contributing Food Editor,
Paula Bowman
Photography by George Whiteside
Food Styling by David Grenier
Prop Styling by Lara McGraw
First published in Wish Winter 2008
Portuguese fortified wine (brandy has been added), exceptional for cooking. Choose a dry Madeira for this recipe, like Bual or a Casa Dos Vinhos Fino Old. Dry port, dry sherry or marsala can be substituted.
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FOOD >> RECIPE
Rustic Turkey Stuffing, 4 Ways
You can never have too much stuffing – try one or all of our variations!
1. Simple Rustic Stuffing
Ingredients (Makes 10 Cups)
| 10 cups | bite-sized pieces white bread (about 1 loaf) |
| ¼ cup | unsalted butter, plus more for preparing sheet pan |
| 1 ½ cups | diced sweet onion |
| 1 cup | diced celery |
| 2 tsp | minced garlic |
| 2 tsp | finely chopped fresh thyme |
| 1 tsp | finely chopped fresh sage |
| ¼ cup | chopped fresh parsley |
| 1 ¼ cup | low sodium chicken stock |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
- Divide bread in a single layer on two rimmed sheet pans. Bake until toasted but not browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes.
To try one of our variations, substitute step 3 with an alternative below. - Pour mixture over bread. Add parsley and half of specified stock to mixture and mix well. Add remaining stock, a little at a time, until bread is moistened but not wet. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing
Step 3: Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme, sage and 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, chanterelle). Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add ¼ cup Madeira* and simmer until most liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 ½ cups cooked wild rice. Continue with Step 4, using 1 ¼ cups stock.
For wild rice: Place 1 cup rice and 4 cups cold water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Drain.
3. Fennel & Sausage Stuffing
Step 3: Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme, sage, ½ cup diced fennel and ½ teaspoon fennel seed. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in ½ pound Italian sausage, removed from casing. Use a wooden spoon to break sausage into small pieces and cook until sausage is no longer pink. Continue with Step 4, using ½ cup stock.
4. Fruit & Nut Stuffing
Step 3: Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add ½ cup white wine, ¼ cup pitted, chopped prunes and ¼ cup dried cranberries. Simmer until most liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Add ½ cup toasted, chopped pecans and mix well. Continue with Step 4, using ²/³ cup stock.
Chef’s Tip: Diced apricots, dried cherries or dried apples also taste great!
Nutritional information
Per ½ cup of Simple Rustic Stuffing: 70 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 9 g carbs, 1 g fibre.
Per ½ cup of Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing: 77 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 11 g carbs, 1 g fibre.
Per ½ cup of Fennel & Sausage Stuffing: 95 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g protein, 8 g carbs, 1 g fibre.
Per ½ cup of Fruit & Nut Stuffing: 102 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g protein, 12 g carbs, 1 g fibre.
Comment on "Rustic Turkey Stuffing, 4 Ways"
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djonah@xplornet.com writes:
I'd like to share a 'potato country' version of this traditional stuffing:
1/4 c. butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3-4 stalks celery, finely chopped
4-1/2 c. day-old bread crumbs
4-1/2 c. mashed potatoes
2 tsp. summer savory (adjust to taste)*
1/2 tsp. salt, or 2 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2-1c. chicken broth or giblet stock
In a large frying pan, melt butter. Add onions and saute until tender (about 5 minutes). Add celery and stir-fry for 2 minutes more.
In a large bowl combine bread crumbs and mashed potatoes. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in broth until mixture is moistened but not wet.
*(Get the 'family taste tester' to sample, to be sure there is enough seasoning. It was an important part of our feasting tradition to have Dad test the stuffing.)
Stuff turkey or, place in a covered baking dish and bake for about 1/2 hour at about 325F, until cooked through and golden brown on top. . Baked seperately, the dressing can be prepared the day ahead and kept in the refrigerator until meal time, then reheat in the oven or microwave. A great time saver on 'feast day'!
Makes enough for one 16-20 lb. turkey or an 8 c. casserole dish.
—posted November 1, 2008 at 6:39 a.m.
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