Really Good Thanksgiving Stuffing

Of all of the traditional dishes often served with Thanksgiving dinner, stuffing is my very favorite. This particular recipe is a crowd pleaser, because it contains traditional flavors such as sage and apple, without any weird ingredients. Not only is stuffing easy to prepare, it’s very economical. Have a few slices of day old bread or dinner rolls? Simply cut them into cubes and allow them to dry for a few days. Then, follow the recipe below and bring a yummy bowl of stuffing to your Thanksgiving feast!

Ingredients (Makes 2 quarts)

10 cups dry bread cubes (I cut old dinner rolls into 1 inch cubes and left them to dry on baking sheets for about 3 days)

2 cups good quality chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup diced apple

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Step 1) Sauté celery, raisins, and diced apple in butter until celery is translucent. Add sage and salt.

Step 2) Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan. It doesn’t need to boil, but should be hot.

Step 3) Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Top with celery/raisin/apple mixture.

Step 4) Be patient with this step… we’re going to gently add chicken stock to the bread cubes. Please don’t dump two cups of chicken stock into the mixing bowl at once – you’ll drown those poor bread cubes and end up with mush instead of stuffing! Instead, use a ladle to spoon a little bit of chicken stock over the bread cubes, toss lightly, and repeat.

Pyrex 2-Quart Glass Bakeware Dish

Step 5) Transfer mixture to a large, greased casserole dish. If desired, place a few small pieces of butter on top of the stuffing mixture. Cover the mixture with a glass lid or aluminum foil. Don’t pack the stuffing into the casserole dish; just gently fill to the top without pressing down.

Step 6) Bake stuffing in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Serve while hot. Happy Thanksgiving!