The word “stuffing” is technically supposed to be used only when it’s actually stuffed in the turkey’s cavity, and “dressing” for when it’s cooked outside of the bird. But my family always called it stuffing whether inside or out—likely to avoid confusion with the “dressing” for a salad—even though we always have made it in a separate casserole, since it tends to get soggy inside the bird. Plus, you can make a lot more in a casserole than will fit in a turkey.
No matter what you call it, however, to my mind it’s one of the best parts of the Thanksgiving dinner—especially when smothered in gravy.
Today is the day before Thanksgiving, so you’ve likely already bought all the food for tomorrow’s big feast (and perhaps have even already prepped your stuffing). But as my Thanksgiving post here in the Kitchen always falls on the day before Thanksgiving, I’m presenting this recipe anyway. So maybe you can use it next year, or for Christmas! And who knows—if you’re still stressing about how to make a delicious stuffing for tomorrow, here’s the recipe for you!
Note that this recipe makes enough for two medium casseroles. (Those Stovetop boxes of stuffing mix are only 6 oz., and the packet I used is 12 oz.) So unless I’m feeding a host of people, I freeze half the uncooked stuffing for another later meal. But feel free to cut the recipe in half, if you like.
Note also that I usually prepare everything up until the actual baking stage on the day before Thanksgiving. Just be sure to take the casserole out of the fridge an hour or so before baking, so it can come back up to room temperature.
Bread and Pork Sausage Stuffing
(makes 2 medium casseroles)
Ingredients
2 cups coarsely chopped celery
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 lb. ground pork or pork sausage
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
½ teaspoon salt
12 oz. of dried bread, aka stuffing mix (discard the flavor packet)
2 cups coarsely chopped apples—about 2 small ones (a tart variety works best)
4 eggs
2 cups chicken stock (pictured frozen)
oil to grease the casserole
Directions
Cook the pork or sausage over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
Once most of the pink is gone, add the celery and onions and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
Add the garlic, pepper, herbes de Provence, and salt, and stir them in. Remove from heat.
Place the dried bread into two medium bowls (or one very large bowl), add half the the meat/veg mixture to each bowl, and stir to combine.
Add two eggs to each bowl and mix in well. (Using your hands works well at this stage.)
Add 1 cup stock to each bowl and mix well.
Grease two medium casseroles well with a neutral oil such as canola, and dump half the stuffing mix into each casserole. (Or use only one casserole and freeze the other half of the stuffing in a freezer-worthy container for later use.)
At this point, you can cover the casserole of uncooked stuffing with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it for one or two days, until ready to bake.
To Bake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the casserole of stuffing from the fridge and let it come back up to room temperature.
Bake, uncovered, until the top is nicely browned—about 30 to 40 minutes. (See photo at top.)
🌱 🍋 🌿
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Orchid Isle Mystery #3
Available for pre-order here.
A
dinner to die for! Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen
investigate a suspicious poisoning in this new Orchid Isle mystery
featuring a feisty couple who swap surfing lessons for
sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i.
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Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,
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LOL on the stuffing vs. dressing, Leslie. When I was growing up, my family always called it stuffing, although we tended to stuff the bird (keeping the stuffing on the dry side before going into the turkey usually solves the problem of it coming out too wet). On the other hand, your tasty casserole of "dressing" could be a meal in itself, and looks absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe and Happy Thanksgiving to you!
ReplyDeleteLove the covers on your books I cannot wait to read. Deborah
ReplyDeleteDelicious Leslie! We are coming to your house...
ReplyDeleteLeslie, this looks fantastic and I’m with you on the whole stuffing/dressing debate. Call it whatever you want, it’s the best part of the plate. Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Bread and Pork Sausage Stuffing recipe! Since we won't be eating at home this year and my contribution is a vegetable dish and a deep dish pecan pie, I may not be making it for Thanksgiving, but I'm keeping it for an upcoming time.
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net