The Stuffing

Of Course, no turkey day is complete without the stuffing! Everybody has their favorite stuffing, of course, and I am no exception. Mom’s stuffing was good, but I have made my own adjustment to the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Stick Melted Butter
2 Cups Diced Onion
2 Cups Diced Celery
1 Pound Mushrooms Sliced
1 Cup Wild Rice (Cooked as per package directions and cooled)
1 Pound Bulk Breakfast Sausage (One year, in deference to a vegetarian friend I made it with one of the vegetarian sausage replacements and it wasn’t bad, but…)
¼ Cup Fresh Parsley chopped
10-12 Cups Bread Cubes (Mom would use the dry bread cubes ready-made… I like to use my own using a hearty whole-grain bread)
2 Raw Eggs
1-2 Cups Stock (Turkey is best, but you can use chicken or vegetable stock if you don’t have any turkey stock.)

Method:
In your largest cast iron skillet (or large, heavy bottomed frying pan) melt the butter slowly until hot enough to sauté.

Cook the wild rice, drain it and add it to a LARGE mixing bowl.

Sauté the onions and celery until translucent. Transfer the vegetables to the mixing bowl leaving the butter in the pan. Mix with the rice.

Sauté the mushrooms until they start to release some of their liquid (a few minutes). Transfer the contents of the pan into the mixing bowl. Mix with the existing ingredients in the bowl.

Crumble-fry the sausage. Drain it and add it to the vegetables in the mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate.

Add the Parsley and bread cubes to the bowl. Mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate.

Slowly add the stock (mixing the stuffing as you go) stop when the stuffing is wet but not gloppy. (That’s a technical term. The stuffing should wet throughout but not sodden enough to collapse.)

Stuff the turkey until full (but not packed too tightly) and roast as you normally would. (I usually guestimate about 20 minutes per pound, but start checking it at about 12 minutes per pound. Using a meat thermometer, you want the thigh to reach 180° internal temperature, the breast should be about 170°.)

Wherever you are today, I hope you’ll have a lovely day and a happy holiday!

Don Bergquist – November 25, 2008 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA