Foolproof Homemade Thanksgiving Stuffing

Today, turkey recipes abound. We are doing two turkeys; one in the smoker and one on the grill. But what about homemade stuffing?

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In our family, the stuffing is as important as the turkey is. Let’s be real; I actually like the stuffing better than the turkey. At the very least, the turkey would be awfully boring without homemade stuffing.

I’ve tried rotating in different ingredients over the years, like water chestnuts or fennel instead of (or in addition to) celery, adding mushrooms, or using cornbread, for example. And of course there’s the old question as to whether ground beef or sausage is better. But I always come back to our old family recipe handed down from my dear Italian aunt. It is a total crowd pleaser!

First a note about stuffing the bird – I don’t make stuffing inside the turkey. It takes much longer, and there is a health risk of bacteria if you pack it in there too tightly. Making the stuffing separately in a casserole or glass baking dish allows you to make as much as you want and still accurately cook both the bird and the stuffing.

Plus, now that we almost always grill the turkey, stuffing the turkey is messy and unreliable.

You’ll need about a pound and a half of ground meat. I like to use half sausage and half ground beef, because the flavor of the sausage is wonderful. But using all sausage is a little rich. I sauteé the celery with garlic because it adds a great flavor. I usually cook the meat separately, a day or two prior to save time on the big day. If you can’t do that, you could probably put it all in a very large pan and sauté everything at the same time.

If you want to make your own bread cubes, here’s the skinny: Cut up a loaf of crusty French or Italian bread into 1/2 – 3/4 inch cubes a day or two prior to making the stuffing. Put them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with thyme, garlic salt and parsley. Keep them out on the counter until you’re ready to make the stuffing. They will dry and get crusty without needing to even put them into the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pound ground beef or sausage (or half of each)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced or smashed
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 cup diced fennel (optional)
• Homemade bread cubes OR 1 large package cubed stuffing (or 2 @ 12 ounce packages)
• 3-4 cups chicken broth and/or pan juices

Instructions for Homemade Stuffing:

Sauté the meat, set aside on paper towels to drain. In the same pan, sauté the celery, onion and fennel. Add the celery mixture along with the meat to your glass or casserole dish and mix well. Lastly, add the bread cubes and evenly distribute all ingredients in your casserole dish.

Pour the chicken broth and/or pan juices all over the stuffing mixture until it is evenly moist. Start slowly and keep adding juice until it is moist. Use your judgment – more moist is better than too dry.

Cover the dish with foil, bake for about 45 minutes or until the stuffing is no longer mushy and holds together. Take the foil off the dish in the last ten minutes of cooking to get the top golden brown.

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