This is our aunt Helen’s recipe that we enjoy and have been using for years.
The only additional ingredient to the original stuffing recipe is sage. Around here, the more sage the better! The greener the dressing the better! Makes 10 servings.
Visit our Murlo Discovery Channel video: Murlo Holiday Dinner (Preparing & Hosting) for quick overview on some of the meal preparation.
Ingredients
16 cups of 3/4 inch cubed day old bread cubes (close to one loaf of bread)
2 cups diced celery (approx. 3 stalks)
1 medium onion
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup of margarine
1 1/2 cup chicken broth (divided into 1 cup and 1/2 cup portions)
1 tsp parsley
2-3 tsp common or culinary sage (optional) **
What is Sage?
Sage, also known as common sage or culinary sage, it has a unique flavor that brings warmth and complexity to dishes. It works well when combined with other herbs and complements a variety of foods,
From meat and seafood to lemon and butter. Both the leaves, fresh and dried, as well as rubbed and powdered versions are used in recipes. It is a perennial, evergreen shrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family.
Directions
1. Drying the bread and preparation
a. Plan two to three days ahead
b. Good stuffing has lots of flavour. Drying the cubed bread is essential to rehydrate with the flavourful chicken stock or homemade turkey stock from a previous dinner.
c. The bread cubes should be placed on a cookie sheet to dry out.
d. You can speed up the process by placing bread cubes in a 225 degree Fahrenheit oven and stir/mix every 20 minutes. In about an hour the bread cubes should be dry.
2. Meanwhile add margarine in a medium sized frying pan to melt.
3. Add celery and onions, and seasonings to fry until the ingredients are softened.
4. In a large bowl add bread cubes and the celery and onion mix. Mix well.
5. Slowly start adding 1 cup of the chicken broth mixing well as you go.
6. Place mixture into the fridge until you are ready to prepare your bird for roasting.
Note: You will likely have more stuffing than will fit into the turkey or chicken. This is where the reserved chicken stock comes in handy. Add stock to the remaining stuffing, then wrap in aluminum foil. Place in the oven during the last hour of roasting your bird.
Stuffing inside the bird is moist as the bread draws moisture from the turkey/chicken juices while stuffing in foil tends to be drier. We mix the stuffing together in a large bowl prior serving to ensure consistency in texture.
**Sage in this recipe is optional. We like a full sage flavour in our stuffing and have adapted Aunt Helen’s recipe for lots of sage. Hey, its’s your stuffing and if it needs to be green with sage, go nuts!
We’d like to hear from you!
What stuffing recipe or ingredient works for you to make your stuffing unique?
One response to “Aunt Helen’s Stuffing”
[…] Feature Photo Items: Roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, Aunt Helen’s stuffing, gravy, corn, candied sweet potatoes, Pistachio Wheat Salad, white wine, Christmas cracker, […]