Memories of childhood come flooding back at the mention of stuffing. Aromas wafting from the kitchen at the crack of dawn, glowing heat emanating from the stove, the anticipation of the feast of all feasts tickling at the outer edges of my brain. My favorite food at Thanksgiving had to be the stuffing, which I must say was always of the boxed variety. Even that didn’t weigh in on my decision for it to be my favorite food, and I would always leave the table just as stuffed as the bird that adorned it serenely at the commencement of the feast.
Times have changed, and mostly, my tastes have grown. For the first few years of my adult life, I followed mom’s advice and kept it simple by using a boxed mix for the stuffing. It made sense back then, since I had no idea how to cook and their was always a kid on my hip and another tugging on my pant leg. Now that the children are older, I make an effort to put forth the best foods for our Thanksgiving feast, and do as much of it as possible from absolute scratch.
So it was no wonder that a couple of years back I ran into a recipe for homemade stuffing that I instantly fell in love with. Being the unsettled person that I am, I had to tweak the original recipe and make it my own. This recipe is hearty, savory, and a sure hit at every table that it is set on during the holidays.
Savory Stuffing
Ingredients
16 cups cubed French bread, roughly 3-4 loaves depending on size
1 large Onion, diced
4 stalks of Celery, chopped into medium chunks (chop up the leaves, too!)
4 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 c. Salted Butter, equivalent to 1 stick
2 tsp. Rosemary
1/4 c. Parsley
Salt
Instructions
On a baking sheet, lay the cubes in one layer, it will take more than one sheet. Toast in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until cubes are crispy. Set aside to cool.
In a warm frying pan, melt the 1 stick of salted butter, then add the diced onions and celery. Saute until the onions just start to become transparent. Thinly chop the parsley and rosemary, and add into the pan with the onions and celery. Cook for five minutes to release the flavors from the herbs.
Add in the four cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat.
In a large bowl, toss in the bread cubes. Pour the broth, veggie, and herb mixture over the cubes in 1/2 cup increments. Toss lightly to coat with each addition. If your stuffing seems too dry, add extra broth at the end. It is a good idea to have a second can or box of broth on hand for this instance. Lightly salt the stuffing, keeping in mind that the stuffing will be mingling with other foods that are already salty enough, so you might want to keep it low-key.
You can either stuff the bird with this mixture, or place in a greased baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for half an hour. It makes enough to stuff the bird with, then have an additional serving on the side for those who prefer their stuffing de-birded.
