Best Basic Bread Stuffing Recipes

BASIC BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Combine bread, onion, celery and all seasonings. Add melted butter. Toss gently to mix. Then add hot broth to moisten to desired consistency (but be careful NOT to make it soggy; a little dry is best since it will retain juices from cooking inside the turkey).
• Stuff into the cavity of the turkey before roasting, if desired.
• OR: Pour all into a large casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, not letting the top get too crispy.
• NOTE: Allow 1 cup stuffing for each pound of poultry.

BASIC BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. On two rimmed baking sheets, arrange bread in a single layer. Toast until dry and pale golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and celery are softened, about 7 minutes. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Add parsley, eggs, and bread; stir to combine. Add broth in 2 additions, stirring until absorbed after each addition. Season generously with salt and pepper and transfer stuffing to dish. Bake on middle rack until deep golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

BASIC YANKEE BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Place pork sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Place the celery and onions in the saucepan, and slowly cook and stir until tender.
• Mix together the sausage, celery, onions, bread, sage, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• Pour the eggs and chicken broth into the mixture. Use more broth if needed. The stuffing should be moist, not mushy.
• Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

BASIC BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes until onions have softened.
• In a bowl, combine the cooked onions, remaining broth, bread, paprika, egg substitute and salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Place mixture inside the cavity of a turkey or place it in a casserole dish. If stuffing is to be baked separately from the turkey, place stuffing in a preheated 350-degree oven and bake for 45 minutes.
• Variations include - Herb Stuffing: Add 1 tablespoon mixed chopped sage, rosemary, and parsley. Fruit Stuffing: Add 1/2 cup diced tart apples, washed cranberries, or diced pears. Sweet Stuffing: Add 1 teaspoon allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger. Mushroom Stuffing: Add 1 cup sliced mushrooms (white or wild). Saute with the onions. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Chestnut Stuffing: Add 1 cup roasted chestnuts, peeled (chestnuts are low in fat). To save time, use a jar of water-packed chestnuts (some grocers stock these around the holidays) instead of roasting the chestnuts. Dried Fruit Stuffing: Add 1 cup diced dried apricots, apples, figs, cranberries, or cherries. Corn Bread Stuffing: Replace 3 cups of the whole-grain bread with 3 cups cornbread.

BASIC BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, celery, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and sage, and cook for 5 minutes. Place the mixture in a large mixing bowl, add the cubed bread and chicken broth, and toss to combine.
• When cool, stuff the turkey and bake. If you prefer, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the stuffing and bake in a casserole for 40 minutes.

BASIC BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Place the butter, shallots or onions in a saucepan, and allow the butter to melt over low heat. Do not sauté the shallots. Combine with the crumbs and other ingredients and toss lightly. Add more melted butter if needed, and taste for seasoning. Stuff the bird lightly just before roasting.
• Herb Variations:
• Instead of tarragon you can use any of the following herbs to taste. (It is better not to mix herbs, except for the addition of parsley, but mix if you must.)
• 1. About 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, soaked in a little white wine for an hour.
• 2. Sage. Use with discretion, or it smothers all other flavors.
• 3. Summer savory. This has a delicious flavor for turkey and is less known than most herbs.
• 4. Basil. The fresh is delicious and superb in the stuffing of a spitted bird. If fresh is not available, use about 2 teaspoons of dried basil, soaked in white wine beforehand.
• Another way to give the flavor of fresh basil to your dressing is by adding pesto , the Italian sauce normally used with pasta. Fortunately, it freezes rather well, so pesto can be made when fresh basil is in the market or in your herb garden and it is possible to have it with your Thanksgiving or Christmas bird. Add about 3 tablespoons of pesto or more to the basic bread stuffing.
• Additives for Basic Bread Stuffing:
• You will have to reduce the amount of crumbs, depending upon the quantity of additive.
• 1. 1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely broken cooked chestnuts (These may be purchased in tins).
• 2. 1 cup or more toasted salted filberts.
• 3. 1 cup or more toasted unbalanced almonds.
• 4. 1 cup or more salted pecan halves.
• 5. 1 1/2 to 2 cups toasted walnut halves.
• 6. 2 cups finely diced celery. This makes a delicious change in the basic stuffing and is also good in goose.
• 7. 1 1/2 cups of finely diced fennel bulb. Omit any other herb save parsley.
• 8. A head of finely shredded Boston lettuce. Added to the basic stuffing at the last minute, this is surprisingly good. You may find you need additional salt.
• 9. Giblets. Chop the gizzard and heart very fine; reserve the liver. Sauté the gizzard and heart with the onions just enough to color them, then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Use the liver in the sauce later. Sauté it lightly in butter and chop exceedingly fine before adding.

BASIC BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Spread the bread out on a large baking sheet. Toast until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to avoid burning. Transfer to a large bowl. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add the onions and celery and saute, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Scrape the sauteed vegetables and butter into the bread cubes and toss until well combined. Mix in the broth until the stuffing is lightly moist, but not packed together.
• To use for stuffing, reheat just before spooning into the bird. As a side dish, spoon into a large, buttered, shallow baking dish. Bake in the 350 F oven until the top has formed a crust and the stuffing is heated through, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve hot.