Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, it’s easy to make at home, without a box mix. Homemade stuffing is much more flavorful than store bought. It’s fluffy with crispy edges and has a delicious poultry flavor plus only contains a handful of ingredients. It really is quite simple to make homemade stuffing.
I remember my mom making stuffing during the holidays when I was younger and that’s how I learned to make it. My mom used to stuff the turkey until health warnings in the early 1980s said it was better to cook it on the side so it was less likely you could contract salmonella or other foodborne illnesses, so my mom began cooking stuffing in a casserole dish.
Now, I make stuffing anytime I roast a chicken or turkey because I use that turkey or chicken “juice” or broth to make it with. It reminds me of a savoury bread pudding. I use regular bread rather than breadcrumbs because we like our stuffing more soft and much like the texture of bread pudding. I find dried breadcrumbs to give a more dry and crumbly stuffing and that’s not how our family enjoys it.
Let’s get started!
Sauté onion and celery together until tender. Season with salt, pepper and dill.
Once onion is cooked, tear bread and dump onion and celery into bread along with any grease. I usually use an entire loaf of bread and tear into bite-sized pieces, much like you would for bread pudding.
Here’s the turkey. We want the “juices” from the turkey which is essentially like a broth. If you’re not sure how to roast a turkey, you can read all about it here.
I pour as much of the broth from the turkey as I can into a bowl, being careful to not dump the turkey!!
Spoon or pour the turkey (or chicken) broth (or “juices”) over the bread. Stir. You want the bread to be moist, but not sopping in liquid. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. I usually end up adding more dill and salt and pepper.
Dump into a greased casserole dish.
Place into oven. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to one hour or until golden brown.
Sometimes I make a smaller batch – especially if I only am cooking a chicken or if I do not have as much bread on hand. This time my girls wanted it a bit more crispier.
Homemade Stuffing
1 loaf of bread, torn
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper or 1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp dried dill
Juices/broth from roast chicken or turkey
Tear bread, set aside. Cook onion and celery with onion. Sprinkle with seasonings. Cook until tender. Pour over bread. Spoon broth over bread. Stir. Add just enough to make the bread moist but not sopping with liquid. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour into a buttered casserole. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes to one hour, until golden brown.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours