Poultry (Chicken or Turkey) Stuffing

Just in time for the holidays...four tasty recipes for turkey dressing guaranteed to tempt the tastebuds. The first recipe I learned when I was 8 years old, watching my great-grandmother stuff a turkey for Christmas dinner, the variations are my own.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of sliced white bread, toasted

1 large onion, minced

4 to 6 stalks of celery, finely sliced

2 finely minced garlic cloves

1 tsp olive oil

1 jumbo or two small eggs, whisked

3 tbsp Bell’s poultry seasoning (or sage)

⅓ cup melted butter

½ half tsp salt

Pepper (optional)

Method:

Discard end pieces and toast bread. Stack 4 slices and cut with a sharp knife into 1” cubes. Repeat until all slices of toast are cubed. Place in large bowl.

Heat olive oil in skillet and when hot, add onion and celery. Cook until onion becomes translucent, then add garlic, cook for another minute, then remove from heat and add to cubed toast. Sprinkle poultry seasoning and salt over toast cubes and add egg and then half the butter.

Mix gently with hands until all of the toast is coated with the seasonings, butter, and egg. If mixture is too dry, add the remaining butter.

Stuff turkey fairly tightly and truss. Roast as usual. Makes enough for a 20 lb turkey both neck and body cavities.

Variations (which I usually put in the neck cavity so there are two dressings to choose from)

Sausage and apple

Set aside ¼ of the dressing made above for the neck cavity. To it, toss in:

6 ounces sausage, sautéed and drained (I use a mild Italian sausage)

1 granny smith apple, peeled and coarsely chopped and sautéed with the sausage.

Oyster and chestnut

Set aside ¼ of the dressing made above for the neck cavity. To it, toss in:

A can/jar (no more than 6 oz) of oysters

⅓ to ½ cup chestnuts, cut or broken into small pieces

Mushroom and onion

Set aside ¼ of the dressing made above for the neck cavity. To it, toss in:

½ cup mixed mushrooms sautéed in butter and white wine