Mid Atlantic Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• Toast bread cubes for 10 to 15 minutes in a 325 degree F oven until golden. Transfer to bowl.
• Saute 1 pound meat, crumbled or cubed in skillet over medium heat until brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to bread bowl.
• In same skillet, melt the butter. Add onions, and celery to skillet. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Combine softened vegetables, herbs, spices, dried fruits, nuts, and remaining vegetables with bread/meat mixture.
• Add just enough stock to moisten bread mixture. Pack the neck and cavity loosely with stuffing, folding the neck skin under and fastening with a skewer. Or lightly pack stuffing into large, shallow, stoneware baking dish. For a stuffed bird: Roast turkey at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes per pound, or until turkey temperature reaches 180 degrees and juices run clear when thigh is pierced.
• For loose stuffing: Drizzle with stock, cover and bake at 325 degree F for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and brown an additional 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. Using two large baking sheets, divide bread and bake until golden, about 25 minutes--stirring occasionally. Place in large bowl.
• Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high; melt butter.
• Add onions and cook, about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms and stir until juices are released and mushrooms soften (5 minutes.).
• Add celery, cook 2 minutes.
• Mix onion/mushroom mix into the bread cubes.
• Add chestnuts, herbs and nutmeg. Mix and season with salt and pepper (can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).
• To bake IN turkey: Mix 1/2 cup broth and fill main cavity of turkey. Add enough chicken broth to remaining stuffing to moisten it. Spoon into buttered baking dish and cover with buttered foil. Bake along with turkey until heated through.
• To bake all stuffing IN pan: Preheat oven to 350 and butter a 15X10X2" baking dish. Mix chicken broth into stuffing until moist and place in buttered dish. Bake until heated through, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Divide bread between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until golden, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms; stir until mushrooms begin to soften and release juices, about 5 minutes. Add celery and stir 2 minutes. Mix contents of skillet into bread cubes. Mix in chestnuts, thyme, rosemary and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• TO bake stuffing in turkey:
• Mix 1/2 cup chicken broth into stuffing. Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover stuffing with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in a dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 45 minutes.
• To bake all stuffing in pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil. Bake until heated through, about 1 hour 15 minutes.