Good Stuff on Stuffing

About author / Rebecca Michaels

Queen of the desserts and pastry chef extraordinaire; graduate French Culinary Institute; Golden Scoop Award winner; Flying Monkey Bakery founder

Who doesn't just love stuffing? Bread, soaked in savory juices, baked crispy on top, soft and moist on the bottom. It is my favorite part of any holiday meal, partly because I'm a vegetarian and partly because I am a full-fledged card-carrying member of the Carboholics Club.

You may say that I'm writing beyond the scope of my expertise. What does a chef who specializes in pastry have to do with stuffing? After all, you chop up vegetables, pour some broth over some old white bread or heck, just use the stuff straight out of the box.

(Sound of a needle being ripped off a record).

Hold the phone, people! Not so fast. Stuffing need not be a box-to-plate experience, it doesn't have to include just vegetables, and it can even be vegetarian friendly. You can make some serious stuffing that will knock the little paper shoes off your turkey.

The most important aspect to stuffing, in my opinion, is the bread. If you can, bake your own bread a few days in advance. Store-bought bread is fine, but if you can find yourself a couple of loaves of artisan bread (I've seen them in the grocery store), do it. Cut off as much crust as you can and leave the loaves to sit out for a day or two. These days I don't have the time to bake my own bread, but I do bake a couple of pans of corn bread because it's fast, easy, and nice to nosh. I like to use half good quality white bread and half corn bread in my stuffing; I find that proportion makes the nice balance of soft and creamy with just the right amount of tooth.

Cut your bread into one inch chunks. This helps the stuffing retain a little more texture, especially if you're stuffing it into the bird (There are two schools of thought on this, but both agree you shouldn't overstuff with stuffing because it will expand and the turkey will cook less evenly inside). Lay your bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes or so, or until it's crispy.

The general rule of thumb in a stuffing recipe is one cup of stock to 4 cups of bread cubes to one egg. Oh, and a word about the stock: for the herbivores at your table, simply substitute mushroom broth or no-chicken broth in place of regular meat or poultry stock. Chances are, not even the omnivores will notice.

Now you're ready for some fun. You've got the basics down and now it's time to put on your creativity hat and add that special touch to your star stuffing. Vegetables you're thinking about adding should be chopped and sautéed in olive oil and butter before adding. Onion and celery are the industry standard. How about adding leeks, some fancy mushrooms or a couple of peeled and diced apples to your sauté pan? Toast and chop some nuts and throw those in. Add some dried fruit, but give it a little zing by soaking it in bourbon, Grand Marnier, or a wee bit of scotch for a stitch first.

Oh, and I mustn't forget about herbs. If they're available, use fresh herbs. Thyme, sage and rosemary are wonderful aromatics for stuffings. Use twice as much as you would if you were using dried, and sautee them along with your veggies.

Okay, now grease your deep dish pan liberally with butter. Mix all ingredients together. It may take a minute or so for the broth to soak in. And very important: don’t forget to salt and pepper liberally to taste. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until the inside of the stuffing is very hot and the top is crispy (You want to make sure you cook those eggs through).

Now go try it. I dare you not to use a recipe. I promise you'll have a wonderful addition to your holiday table and when people rave about it and ask you for the recipe, you can just shrug and say "Oh, I just threw it together! A little bit of this, a little bit of that."