Let’s quit kidding ourselves: Thanksgiving is not about the turkey. Everyone’s favorite part of the meal is the stuffing, or dressing–or whatever you call it, as long as it is bready and savory and rich and full of flavor.
And everyone has a favorite stuffing recipe.
It might not be anything fancy, but it is beloved because it is a regular part of the holiday meal. Or it might be the one opportunity an ambitious cook has to make a statement on Thanksgiving, since the turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce so often stay the same year after year.
In talking to cooks around the area, we found a variety of stuffing ideas, seasoned in different ways and cooked differently too. The only common thread in all of these? Make plenty of it for hungry family members.
“I make this stuffing by the barrelful because the kids love it so much,” said Theresa Grande of Park Ridge of her sage-seasoned bread stuffing with ground hamburger. “It’s not exotic. But everyone loves their mother’s stuffing.”
The major holidays are “always at my house,” she said. “Years ago we always had about 35 people; now, about 12 to 15. That’s practically no one. We have turkey, ham and pasta. And I make plenty of stuffing so that we always have leftovers.”
Another local cook makes a traditional family dressing–but with a twist. Sandra Clayborne of Chicago ate her mother’s corn bread dressing when she was growing up on the South Side but remembers, “Mom tried different additions all the time. Sometimes she would add oysters or sometimes sausage.”
Now, running her Clayborne’s Culinary Delights personal chef service, Clayborne has gone back to a more basic version of the recipe, without the frills, because “this is the one that everybody seems to like,” she said. “Some people don’t like mushrooms, but with the cream of mushroom soup binding, you don’t notice it. Some people don’t like celery, but this has just the right amount so it isn’t too much.”
Though the recipe may seem like a standard dressing, Clayborne has an unusual trick when it comes time to bake it. “Baking dressing in the oven for a long time just dries it out,” she said. “The ingredients are already cooked. So I just run it under the broiler to brown, then flip the dressing over to brown the other side, and then it’s done.”
That kind of original stamp is what makes for satisfying Thanksgiving traditions. But sometimes, a cook becomes known for trying something new every year, as is the case with Bob Kasper, an importer of decorative stone materials in Crete.
“One year, instead of a turkey, I roasted capons with different stuffings,” said Kasper. “One was oyster, one was sausage, but both had mushrooms; I typically put mushrooms in all of my dressings. One was a potato stuffing with partially roasted potatoes, olives, capers, lemons, garlic and olive oil.”
The key to whatever stuffing recipe is on the menu, said Kasper, is a slow-cooked, very rich stock and “lots of butter. I like it very moist.”
Every family has a stuffing story to tell, whether they stick with a favorite or go wild with an ever-changing list of ingredients. We offer some ideas and hope that they are cause for thanks around your holiday table this year.
To stuff or not to stuff
There are a couple of ways to tell where a person is from: Their favorite baseball team. Their accent. And whether they stuff a turkey or dress it.
Though turkey and stuffing seem like a natural part of the Thanksgiving vocabulary, the stuffing part is really more of a Yankee thing. In the South, people tend to prefer dressing, or baking the seasoned bread in a casserole, rather than letting it cook inside the bird itself.
“This is dressing country down here,” said North Carolina-based culinary historian John Edgerton. “Why it should be that they stuff up north but dress down south, I don’t know. We do it to be different, probably. Contrarian. Somehow, aesthetically, stuffing doesn’t work as well for me. I think the turkey just needs to stand on its own two legs and the dressing needs to stand by itself too.”
Southern roots also extend to the bread itself; corn bread is the Southern staple, wheat bread is widely used elsewhere. Edgerton’s dressing made from baked corn bread croquettes seasoned with turkey broth is one example.
On the other side of the country, California food writer Marion Cunningham insists that the bread needs to go into the turkey.
“It collects the juices, for one thing,” said Cunningham, author of the revised “Fanny Farmer Cookbook.” “There is an extra taste that comes from the bird itself. I have made the same dressing for I can’t tell you how many years. It is a sage dressing and I like the sage taste with turkey.”
Cunningham is particularly interested in getting the most turkey flavor into the stuffing for an unusual reason: She puts leftover stuffing into day-after turkey soup.
“You know how other people make turkey soup from the turkey carcass? Well, there is nothing much in those bones to get the flavor across. The juices are all in the stuffing. Mind you, it is a soup and you drink it with a spoon, but the leftover dressing is in there with a lot of liquid.”
And then there are some people who don’t go either way.
“I think my grandmother put the stuffing inside the turkey, but it was mashed potatoes; she didn’t do a bread stuffing,” said William Woys Weaver, the Pennsylvania-based author of “America Eats.” “But I don’t bother. There are so many ways to cook a turkey other than roasting. I cut my turkey into pieces, so I don’t bother with the stuffing issue at all. I leave that to someone else.”
— Kristin Eddy
Getting started with a loaf of good bread
It’s easy to find packaged bread cubes and seasoned bread crumbs in stores during the holiday season. Many of these make a fine base for your family stuffing recipes. But if you want to really make the recipe your own, start from scratch with a loaf of good bread.
You’ll need a sturdy bread, preferably stale, about 1 to 2 days old. French baguettes or any country bread with a thick crust work best; more delicate loaves should be lightly moistened to avoid mushiness. The bread should be whole to start with; pre-cut slices may be too thin.
Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. If the bread is fresh, bake on a dry baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, until the bread cubes are dry but not brittle. The baked bread can be stored in an airtight container for about three days.
Once the recipe has been prepared, here’s the way to cook it:
Dressing:
– Place in a buttered or oiled casserole or baking dish.
– Cover with aluminum foil to keep the dressing moist. Remove the foil during the last 20 minutes of baking to brown the top.
– Use your imagination when planning recipes. There are any number of savory and sweet combinations that go well with a bland meat like turkey, from dried fruits to salty pork and a wide range of vegetables and herbs. Make use of the interesting breads available from small bakeries, natural food markets and specialty stores.
The liquid you use can range from homemade turkey stock to store-bought chicken broth, and from water to wine, sherry, port or beer. Don’t overdo the liquid; trapped steam will also work to moisten the stuffing as it bakes.
Stuffing:
– Stuff both ends of the turkey.
– Stuff the bird loosely, about 3/4 cup per pound of turkey.
– Cover the exposed stuffing with a slice of stale bread to keep it moist.
— K.E.
Expanding the theme
Here are some suggestions for stuffing and dressing that can replace or be served alongside the family favorite:
– Sourdough with dried apricots and pecans
– Raisin bread with bacon and onions
– Herb bread with oysters
– Rye bread with apples and beer
– Cheese bread with roasted peppers and leeks
– Walnut bread with cranberries and lemon
– Corn bread with fresh corn and chopped country ham
– Onion loaf with wild mushrooms, sage and sherry
– Ciabatta with sweet sausage and dried pears
— K.E.
Safety inside the bird and out
The USDA recommends pan-roasted dressing, rather than stuffing, for uniform cooking and safety of the stuffing ingredients. If you do choose to stuff the turkey, here are a few things to know in order to keep your Thanksgiving guests healthy and happy:
– Never stuff the turkey ahead of time. If the cooked ingredients, such as onion and celery, are allowed to sit around in a cold or room temperature turkey, they use the down time to breed bacteria. The recipe may be assembled in advance, but wait until the turkey is ready to go into the oven before stuffing.
– Test the center of the stuffing with a thermometer before serving a stuffed turkey. The temperature should read 165 degrees.
— K.E.
Oyster and mushroom stuffing
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
“I am not a frugal cook,” Bob Kasper says of his richly flavored stuffing. “I use whatever it takes to make my food taste good.” It will be sufficient for a 20- to 25-pound turkey.
Stock:
1 each: turkey neck, gizzard, heart
4 cups each: chicken broth, water
1 each, cut into large chunks: carrot, small onion
Stuffing:
1 loaf (1 pound) each: light rye bread, Italian bread
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
2 each, chopped: large onion, carrot, celery ribs, cloves garlic
2 teaspoons each: soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
1 cup each, sliced: cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms
1 pint shucked oysters
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1. For stock, place turkey neck, gizzard, heart, broth, water, carrot and onion in a large saucepan with carrot and onion, broth and water. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced by half, 1 hour. Strain broth; discard solids. Set liquid aside.
2. For stuffing, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet; toast until firm and golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft and onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in soy, Worcestershire and hot sauces, salt and pepper.
4. Stir in mushrooms. Cook 1 minute. Drain oysters, reserving liquid. Chop oysters into large pieces. Add to skillet; cook 1 minute.
5. Pour contents of skillet and bacon into large mixing bowl. Stir in eggs and reserved oyster liquid. Add bread; toss well to combine. Add stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until stuffing reaches desired moistness.
6. Use stuffing mix to stuff a turkey or bake in a roasting pan or baking dish in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour.
Nutrition information per serving:
545 calories, 47% calories from fat, 29 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 1,105 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 5 g fiber
Corn bread dressing
(This recipe as published has been corrected in this text.)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
“The secret to this dressing is a good corn bread,” Sandra Clayborne says.
Corn bread:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each: baking soda, salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
2 eggs
Dressing:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups each, finely chopped: onion, celery
1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell pepper
1 bag (14 ounces) unseasoned cubed stuffing mix
3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon each: salt, white pepper
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup
4 to 4 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
1. For corn bread, heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk, butter and eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture; blend well.
2. Pour batter into a lightly oiled 10-inch oven-safe skillet or baking pan. Bake until golden, 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
3. For dressing, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, celery and bell pepper until soft and onion is golden, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
4. Crumble corn bread into a large mixing bowl. Stir in stuffing mix, vegetables, poultry seasoning, sage, salt and white pepper; toss to combine. Stir in mushroom soup; toss to moisten. Add broth in 1/2-cup increments to achieve desired moistness.
5. Heat broiler. Pat dressing into buttered 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Broil until top is golden and crispy, 3-5 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Flip dressing over in large sections. Return to broiler 3-5 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
640 calories, 40% calories from fat, 29 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 2,095 mg sodium, 81 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 6 g fiber
Classic herb stuffing
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Start with this stuffing, enough to fill a 12- to 15-pound turkey, and add anything to it you want, from fruits to nuts to sausage. We added cranberries and pecans for color and crunch. Developed in the Tribune test kitchen.
1 loaf (1 pound) Italian bread or French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 12 cups
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ribs celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons each: dried sage, dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup each: dried cranberries, toasted chopped pecans, see note
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups chicken broth
1. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place bread cubes on baking sheet. Bake until cubes are dry and brittle, about 20 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
2. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook celery and onion, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in sage, thyme, salt and pepper to taste; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to bowl with bread cubes. Add cranberries and pecans. Mix to combine all ingredients. Add eggs and broth; toss gently to combine.
3. Turn mixture into greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake, covered with foil, 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake until brown and crusty on top, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, stuff mixture into turkey cavity just before roasting.
Note: To toast pecans, spread nuts on baking sheet. Toast in 325-degree oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Or place in dry skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
420 calories, 49% calories from fat, 23 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 5 g fiber
Sage bread stuffing with ground sirloin
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
Use this homey stuffing from Theresa Grande to stuff a 12- to 15-pound turkey, or bake in a greased baking dish for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Grande makes a nod toward health considerations by using the leanest beef possible and substituting egg whites for whole eggs, but feel free to splurge on the holiday.
2 loaves (1 pound) Italian bread, or 1 package (10 ounces) unflavored stuffing mix
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 each, chopped: large onion, celery rib
1 pound ground sirloin or lean ground round
2 eggs or egg whites
1 tablespoon dried sage
Salt, freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet; toast until firm and golden, 10 minutes. Place in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and celery until vegetables are soft and onion is golden, 10 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon; add to bread in bowl.
3. Cook sirloin in the skillet until all traces of pink have disappeared, 5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon; add sirloin, egg whites, sage and salt and pepper to taste to bread mixture. Stir well to combine. Add chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time, tossing mixture with each addition.
Nutrition information per serving:
240 calories, 35% calories from fat, 9 g fat, 4.3 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 575 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 1.6 g fiber