Best Turkey Stuffing Recipes

CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBED STUFFING AND OLD-FASHIONED GRAVY

Steps:

• Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart casserole. Lightly brush roasting rack with vegetable oil and place in roasting pan.
• Remove plastic or paper packet of giblets from turkey (usually in small cavity). Remove from packaging and rinse; reserve gizzard and heart; discard floppy, dark purple liver. Remove neck from large cavity. Remove from packaging, rinse, and reserve. Using tweezers or needlenose pliers, remove any feathers and quills still attached to skin (kosher turkeys tend to require this more than others). Pull off and reserve any visible pale yellow knobs of fat from either side of tail (not found on all birds).
• Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Loosely fill small (neck) cavity with stuffing. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with metal skewer. Loosely fill large body cavity with stuffing. Transfer remaining stuffing to buttered dish and drizzle with 1/4 cup stock. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Transfer turkey, breast-side up, to rack in roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks loosely together with kitchen string. Rub turkey all over with softened butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Tightly cover breast area with foil, leaving wings, thighs, and drumsticks exposed.
• Transfer gizzard, heart, neck, and reserved turkey fat to roasting pan around rack. Pour 2 cups stock into pan.
• Roast turkey 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices (lift up foil to reach breast area) and continue roasting, basting every 45 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more (2 1/4 hours total). Baste again and, if pan juices have evaporated into glaze, add 1 cup stock to pan. Roast another 45 minutes (3 hours total). Remove foil from breast area, baste, and add stock if necessary, until instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 180°F, about 1 hour more (4 hours total).
• Insert instant-read thermometer into center of stuffing in body cavity. If thermometer does not read 165°F, transfer stuffing to microwave-safe baking dish and microwave on high until 165°F, about 3 minutes for 10 degrees. Cover and keep warm. Using turkey holders (or by inserting large metal serving spoon into body cavity), transfer turkey to large serving platter. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, bake extra stuffing and make gravy: Raise oven temperature to 350°F. Remove giblets and neck from roasting pan and discard. Pour pan juices into measuring cup or gravy separator. Let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and reserve fat or, if using separator, carefully pour juices into measuring cup, reserving fat left in separator.
• Transfer foil-covered dish of extra stuffing to oven and bake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add enough remaining stock to pan juices to total 4 cups. Measure turkey fat, adding melted butter if necessary to total 6 tablespoons. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners on moderate heat and add fat. Whisk in flour, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, then cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in pan juice-stock mixture and bring to a boil, whisking often. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and keep warm. (Gravy can be kept warm over very low heat, covered, up to 20 minutes. If it thickens, thin with additional stock before serving. If skin forms on top, whisk well to dissolve.)
• When extra stuffing has baked 10 minutes, remove foil and bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Pour gravy through fine-mesh sieve into large bowl, then transfer to gravy boat. Carve turkey and serve gravy and stuffing alongside.
• Test-Kitchen Tips:
• •To combat dryness, most frozen turkeys and some fresh are injected with a saline solution. This is not a good thing, though: Injected birds generally lack flavor and can have a mushy texture. For this reason, we recommend buying a fresh turkey and checking the label to be sure there aren't any additives. (Look for the words "all natural.") Don't be too concerned, though, with the many other terms that can be applied to turkeys, such as free-range, organic, or heritage. All can be excellent.
• •When buying a fresh bird, be sure to purchase it no more than two days before Thanksgiving. If you must get a frozen bird, defrost it in the refrigerator in a pan to catch drips, allowing a full 24 hours for each 5 pounds.
• •Warm, moist stuffing is an optimal environment for bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli to multiply, so it's important to follow safe procedures. Be sure to make the stuffing at the last minute so it can go into the bird warm. This helps it move above the "danger zone" (the optimal temperature range for bacteria growth) more quickly during roasting. When you remove the turkey from the oven, be sure to check the temperature in the middle of the stuffing to make sure it's 165°F, the temperature at which bacteria will be killed. If it's not 165°F, scoop it out of the cavity and microwave it as directed in the recipe.
• •More stuffing tips: Be sure not to overpack the cavities, as the stuffing will expand during cooking. Loosely fill the turkey, then spread the extra in a casserole dish (no more than 2 inches deep) and bake it after the turkey comes out (be sure to refrigerate it until then to impede bacteria growth). Drizzle the portion in the casserole dish with extra stock to make up for the juices it won't get from the turkey. If you want the stuffing that's cooked inside the turkey to be extra-moist (as opposed to having a crisp crust where it's exposed), cover the exposed portion with a small piece of aluminum foil.
• •Opinions vary on whether or not to stuff the bird-some people think it can cause uneven cooking. If you prefer not to stuff your bird, fill the cavities with a chopped vegetable and herb mixture that will impart its flavor to the meat and pan juices: Chop 1 onion, 1 celery rib with leaves, 1 carrot, and 3 tablespoons fresh parsley. Mix this with 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, sage, and thyme. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place the mixture inside. An unstuffed bird will take about 15 minutes to a half hour less to cook than a stuffed bird. When the turkey is cooked, tilt it to allow any juices that have collected in the cavity to drain into the pan. Do not serve the vegetable mixture, as it may not have cooked to a safe temperature.
• •This recipe can easily be scaled up to serve more people. Estimate about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per person. Cooking times (for a stuffed bird, cooked at 325°F to an internal temperature of 180°F) will be as follows: 8 to 12 pounds: 3 to 3 1/2 hours 12 to 14 pounds: 3 1/2 to 4 hours 14 to 18 pounds: 4 to 4 1/4 hours 18 to 20 pounds: 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours 20 to 24 pounds: 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
• •Some experts prefer to cook their turkeys to an internal temperature of 170°F (rather than 180°F, as in this recipe). If you don't mind having the meat slightly pink, this is perfectly safe and makes it more moist. However, Rick Rodgers, who created this recipe, believes that the dark meat in particular does not achieve its optimum flavor and texture until it reaches 180°F. If you choose to stuff your turkey and cook it to only 170°F, its stuffing will almost definitely not reach the safe temperature of 165°F. When you remove the turkey from the oven, be sure to check the temperature in the center of the stuffing, and if necessary remove it and microwave it as directed in the recipe.
• •Letting the turkey stand for half an hour after it comes out of the oven is an essential part of the roasting process. When meat roasts, its juices move to the outer edge of the flesh. Letting it rest gives the juices time to redistribute, making for a moister turkey. An added bonus: The resting time provides an excellent window of opportunity to make the gravy and reheat the side dishes. There's no need to cover the bird-it'll stay warm enough, and covering it would only soften the crispy skin.

EASY TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
• In large bowl, mix bread cubes, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add broth and butter-onion mixture, stirring until desired moistness (stuffing will become a little more moist during roasting because it will absorb juices from turkey).
• Use to stuff 1 (14- to 18-lb) turkey. After stuffing turkey, place any remaining stuffing in 1- or 2-quart casserole that has been sprayed with cooking spray; cover and refrigerate. Bake stuffing in casserole with turkey for last 35 to 40 minutes of roasting time or until thoroughly heated.

ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBED BREAD STUFFING AND GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey giblet stock and herbed bread stuffing.
• Roast turkey:
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Loosely fill neck cavity with some of stuffing. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer. Loosely fill body cavity with some stuffing and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Transfer remaining stuffing to a buttered 3-quart shallow baking dish and chill, covered. Secure wings to body with small skewers if desired for a nicer appearance.
• Put turkey on a rack set in a flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes. Melt 1/2 stick butter. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and pour melted butter over turkey. Roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours more, or until a thermometer inserted in center of stuffing in body cavity registers 165°F (thigh will be about 180°F). Transfer turkey to a heated platter and keep juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Transfer stuffing from cavities to a serving dish and keep warm, covered. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes and up to 45.
• Increase temperature to 375°F. Stir together chicken broth and water and drizzle over uncooked stuffing in baking dish. Dot stuffing with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bake in middle of oven 40 minutes while turkey stands; for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover after 10 minutes.
• Make gravy:
• Skim fat from pan juices and reserve 1/4 cup fat. Add 1 cup giblet stock to roasting pan and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Add to remaining 3 cups stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot stock to roux in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in additional juices from turkey platter and season gravy with salt and pepper.

BETTY CROCKER'S CLASSIC BREAD TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat melt the butter, then sauté the onion and celery (and mushroom, if using) until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the salt, pepper, and sage and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
• Place the bread cubes into a large, deep bowl.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the butter/celery mixture over the cubes and toss well, then repeat steps until all of the butter mixture is used.
• Toss the cubes thoroughly to coat.
• (Regarding the optional chicken broth: for dry stuffing, add little or no liquid; for moist stuffing mix in lightly with fork just enough chicken broth to moisten dry crumbs.) Let cool and use as stuffing for the turkey.
• We've made this stuffing in the crockpot, as well, adding the chicken broth for moistness.
• Adapted from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, circa 1950.
• Note: regardling the amount of salt - yes, the amount listed above is correct and is what is listed in the original Betty Crocker recipe. When the butter mixture is first added to the bread, if you taste it at this point it might seem salty (because it is sitting right on the surface of the bread) but remember that the liquid and butter soaks into the bread and redistributes evenly. Also, this recipe, being from the 1950s, is specifically for cooking *inside* the turkey, which a lot of people no longer do, and again the salt will redistribute from the juices in the meat. If you use a crockpot for cooking your stuffing, I'd recommend reducing the amount of salt.
• Note #2: again, regarding the salt. You're going to have to decide for yourself about the salt. Having eaten this recipe for every year of my life I know it tastes wonderful as it's written. But that's just me.

ROAST TURKEY WITH WILD RICE, SAUSAGE, AND APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• For the stuffing: Combine the wild rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and just bursting, about 30 minutes. (Times may very depending on the brand of rice used.) Drain and set aside.
• Adjust an oven rack to lowest position and remove other racks. Preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apple, celery, garlic, thyme, mace, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until it loses most of its rosy color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the cooked wild rice, pecans, and parsley into the vegetable mixture. (This can be made the day before.)
• For the turkey: Remove turkey parts from neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses, if desired. Dry bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Melt the butter together with the poultry seasoning. Salt and pepper inside the bird cavity. Loosely add the stuffing to the cavity and set the bird on a rack in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and brush generously with the seasoned butter, then season with salt and pepper. Tent the top of the bird with foil.
• Roast the turkey for about 2 hours undisturbed. Remove and discard the foil. Baste with the remaining butter. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove turkey from oven and tent with foil for 15 minutes before carving.

EASY BEGINNER'S TURKEY WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse turkey, remove giblets and place in a shallow roasting pan.
• Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Mix in water.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and slowly cook and stir the celery and onion until tender.
• Mix celery, onion, and toasted bread pieces into the stuffing, and season with salt and pepper. Loosely scoop stuffing into the turkey body cavity and neck cavity. Rub the exterior of the turkey with vegetable oil.
• Loosely cover turkey with aluminum foil, and roast 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) and the interior of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove foil during the last half hour of cooking to brown the bird.

TURKEY WITH SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Place turkey breast side up in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 170° (cover loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning if necessary)., Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, celery and onions until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a bowl; stir in the bread cubes, pecans, raisins, broth, eggs, salt, sage and pepper., Spoon into a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour., Let turkey stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with stuffing.

TURKEY AND STUFFING MEATLOAF RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch (22 x 12 cm) loaf pan with butter and line the pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving overhang on the 2 long sides.
• Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon ground sage. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
• While the vegetables cool, stir together the stuffing mix and chicken stock in a medium bowl.. Let sit for 15 minutes, until the stuffing mix is soggy and has absorbed all of the liquid.
• Once the vegetables have cooled, add the soaked stuffing mix, ground turkey, remaining teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, remaining ¾ teaspoon ground sage, and the egg. Mix until well combined. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, pressing down to smooth the top.
• Bake the turkey and stuffing loaf for 25 minutes.
• While the meatloaf loaf bakes, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce, ketchup, and mustard.
• Pour the glaze over the meatloaf, then return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature 165°F (75°C).
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment to carefully lift out the meatloaf and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

TURKEY WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a pie pan.
• In a bowl, mix cornmeal and water and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg and vegetable oil into the wet cornmeal; stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined and pour into the prepared pie pan.
• Bake the cornbread in the preheated oven until lightly browned and a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes per side; drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon when cool. Stir the onion, garlic, celery, red bell pepper, poultry seasoning, sage, and oregano into the bacon drippings left in the skillet; cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Remove cooled cornbread from the pie pan and cut into small cubes; place into a large bowl and mix in the rye bread cubes. Stir the bacon and cooked vegetables into the stuffing until well combined; drizzle the chicken broth into the dressing, stirring to evenly moisten the bread cubes.
• Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey into a large roasting pan with a lid. Fill the body and neck cavities loosely with stuffing, folding the neck skin over the stuffing and securing in place with toothpicks. Place any leftover stuffing onto a large square of aluminum foil and fold and seal the edges to enclose the stuffing. Refrigerate stuffing packet until about 45 minutes before serving time.
• Place the turkey in the oven, and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove lid after about 2 1/2 hours to brown skin. Baste occasionally with pan drippings. About 45 minutes before serving, bake the extra stuffing if desired.

WHAT A FACE! OPEN FACED HOT TURKEY SAMMYS WITH SAUSAGE STUFFING AND GRAVY, SMASHED POTATOES WITH BACON, WARM APPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat.
• Place potatoes in a medium pot. Cut larger potatoes in half. Leave smaller baby potatoes whole. Cover potatoes with water and top with a lid. Place over high heat. When the water boils, salt water and cook potatoes with the lid off pot for 10 to 11 minutes, until tender.
• Place a second low pot on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add apple sauce and canned cranberry sauce. Stir to combine and gently heat through, about 10 minutes.
• Toast 2 slices whole grain bread and butter heavily, 1/2 tablespoon per slice. Chop into small cubes and reserve.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil and sausage meat to hot skillet. Brown and crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon or heat safe spatula. Add onions and celery to the skillet then season with poultry seasoning and salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add bread to the skillet and stir to combine. Dampen the stuffing with chicken stock and turn to combine. Turn off heat and cover pan loosely with foil to hold heat.
• Preheat a second skillet over medium heat to prepare turkey and gravy.
• Drain cooked potatoes and return to hot pot. Smash with sour cream, butter and crisped, chopped bacon. Season the smashed potatoes with salt and pepper. If they are too thick, thin them out with milk or a splash of broth.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter to preheated skillet and melt it. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups stock or broth. Add the poultry seasoning, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the gravy. Allow it to thicken slightly.
• Cut roasted turkey meat away from the breast bones of rotisserie turkey breast. If you are using deli turkey, remove from packaging and separate slices. Set turkey into gravy.
• Place a bread slice on dinner plate. Use a large ice cream scoop to place a mound of stuffing on the bread. Place turkey on top of stuffing. Serve smashed potatoes and cranberries on the side. Spoon the extra gravy over potatoes and turkey sandwiches. Sprinkle the plates with chopped parsley or chives and serve.

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE, SMOKED BACON, AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack.
• Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper.
• In a saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the sage butter, add the onions, cook and stir for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from heat. Put the cornbread in a large mixing bowl and scrape the sauteed onion mixture on top. Add the egg, heavy cream, and just enough chicken stock to moisten the stuffing without making it soggy (about 1/2 cup.) Toss well to combine, season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Fill the bird with the cornbread stuffing without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven.
• Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. The turkey should take about 3 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil. About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat.
• Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey and cornbread stuffing.

TURKEY AND STUFFING CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For the turkey filling: Heat the EVOO in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and melt in the butter. Add the turkey and cook, crumbling the meat, until browned. Season with the Worcestershire and some salt and pepper. Add the celery, carrots, onions, potatoes and thyme and cook, partially covered, to soften the vegetables, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute; add the stock and cook to thicken. Stir in the peas until warmed through. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
• For the stuffing: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the celery, apples, bay leaf and onions. Add the poultry seasoning and salt and pepper if using and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the stuffing mix and moisten with the stock. Arrange the stuffing on top of the turkey filling and dot with butter.
• Cool and store for a make-ahead meal, or bake to serve immediately. If baking immediately, bake at 375 degrees F until brown, bubbly and crisp on top, 15 to 20 minutes. If baking later, bring to room temperature and bake at 375 degrees F until brown, bubbly and crisp on top, 40 to 45 minutes.

TURKEY WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the turkey into a deep, high-sided bowl on its end with the stuffing end up. Set aside.
• Heat the chicken broth in the microwave in a large microwave-proof container. Place mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour heated broth over them. Cover and allow to sit for 35 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl toss the onion, celery, and green pepper with the oil and salt. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, spread the cubed bread over the vegetables, return to the oven, and continue cooking.
• Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Chop the mushrooms and place in a large
• microwave-proof bowl with the vegetables and bread, reserved chicken stock, cherries, pecans, eggs, sage, parsley and black pepper. Stir well in order to break up pieces of bread. Use your hands to combine, if necessary. Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.
• While the stuffing is heating, rub the bird with oil. Working quickly, place the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey to avoid losing heat. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, on a rack, and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for another 60 to 75 minutes or until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. Serve immediately.

GRANDMA SMITH'S NEW BRUNSWICK-STYLE TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two, then mash.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook the celery and onion in the butter until the onion has turned translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Fold into the mashed potatoes along with the savory, and allow to cool until just warm.
• Place the cooled mashed potatoes into a large bowl, and stir in the beaten egg. Gently fold in cubed bread, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Use as a stuffing for turkey, or bake in buttered loaf pans at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes.

GRANDMA WINNIE'S TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter one 2 quart casserole dish.
• In a saute pan, cook onion and celery in butter until soft.
• In a mixing bowl, combine onion and celery, bread cubes, poultry seasonings, mushrooms, egg and stock. Mix well and add to casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour.

SIMPLE TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and fennel; season with salt and pepper. Add rosemary and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Using your fingers, break chestnuts into large pieces. Stir chestnuts and sausage into the vegetables. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add bread cubes; toss well to combine.
• Drizzle 2 cups stock over mixture, tossing to moisten evenly. Use additional stock if necessary. (The mixture should feel quite moist when squeezed.) Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley.
• Place the stuffing in a buttered 2 1/2- to 3-quart shallow baking dish or in an ovenproof gratin dish.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake stuffing until heated through and top is browned and crusty, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve hot.

TURKEY APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in the bread cubes, apples, raisins, salt, thyme, sage and pepper. , Just before baking, loosely stuff turkey with 4 cups stuffing. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 2-qt. baking dish; refrigerate until ready to bake. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with melted butter. , Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 3-3/4 to 4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for the turkey and 165° for the stuffing, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Bake additional stuffing, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until browned. Cover turkey and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving turkey. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy.

WILD RICE STUFFING FOR TURKEY

Steps:

• Dissolve 3 cubes bouillon in 1 cup hot water. In a medium saucepan, combine wild rice with bouillon water, then fill with just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix remaining 1 cube bouillon in 1 cup hot water. Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in celery and green pepper; cook until tender. Mix in remaining bouillon water. Pour skillet contents into a large bowl. Stir together cooked rice, croutons, and poultry seasoning.
• Stuff turkey loosely, and cook turkey as directed. Or put stuffing into a well greased baking dish, cover, and bake 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (165 degree C).

EASY TURKEY STUFFING ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Bring water and margarine to a boil in a saucepan; stir in stuffing mix. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand until stuffing is softened, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Spoon about 1/2 cup stuffing over each slice of turkey. Roll turkey around stuffing and arrange rolls in a microwave-safe dish, seam-side down. Pour gravy over rolls.
• Heat in a microwave on high until gravy is bubbly, about 5 minutes.

ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBED OYSTER STUFFING AND GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• Make the stuffing:
• In 2 shallow baking pans or jelly-roll pans arrange the bread cubes in one layer, bake them in a preheated 325°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, and transfer them to a large bowl. In a large skillet cook the bacon over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is crisp, transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, and pour off all but about 1/4 cup of the fat. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook the garlic, the onion, and the celery with the thyme and the sage over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and transfer the mixture to the bowl. Add the parsley, the melted butter, the oysters, the bacon, and salt and pepper to taste, toss the stuffing well, and let if cool completely. The stuffing may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. (To prevent bacterial growth do not stuff the turkey cavities in advance.)
• Rinse the turkey, pat it dry, and season it inside and out with salt and pepper. Pack the neck cavity loosely with some of the stuffing, fold the neck skin under the body, and fasten it with a skewer. Pack the body cavity loosely with some of the remaining stuffing and truss the turkey. Transfer the remaining stuffing to a buttered 3-quart baking dish and reserve it, covered and chilled.
• Spread the turkey with 1/2 stick of the butter and roast it on a rack in a roasting pan in a preheated 425°F. oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325°F., baste the turkey with the pan juices, and drape it with a piece of cheesecloth, soaked in the remaining 1 stick butter, melted and cooled. Roast the turkey, basting it every 20 minutes, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the fleshy part of a thigh registers 180°F. and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer. During the last 1 1/2 hours of roasting, drizzle the reserved stuffing with the stock, bake it, covered, in the 325°F. oven for 1 hour, and bake it, uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Discard the cheesecloth and string from the turkey, transfer the turkey to a heated platter, reserving the juices in the roasting pan, keep it warm, covered loosely with foil.
• Make the gravy:
• Skim all of the fat from the roasting pan juices, reserving 1/3 cup of the fat, and add the wine to the pan. Deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and boil the mixture until it is reduced by half. In a saucepan combine the reserved fat and the flour and cook the roux over moderately low heat, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the stock and the wine mixture in a stream, whisking, and simmer the gravy, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the reserved cooked giblets and neck meat, chopped, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the gravy for 2 minutes, and transfer it to a heated sauceboat.
• Garnish the turkey with the parsley and thyme sprigs and serve it with the gravy and the stuffing.