You’ll want to start this recipe about two days beforehand. Cut fresh bread into 1? cubes and put them in a big bowl.
Leave the bread cubes sitting out for about 48 hours so they dry out. Stir them once or twice a day so all of the bread dries out evenly. The bread cubes aren’t ever super crispy when you start making the stuffing. They’ll just be a little dry and “stale”. *To make this process go a little faster you can also slice the bread loaf and then cube the slices, put on a baking sheet and toast at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. You can put them back in if they are still a little too soft- but they do not need to be crisp. After they cool- proceed with the rest of this recipe.
When it comes time to make the stuffing, saute the onions and celery in butter over medium heat until the veggies are tender. This is the best aroma ever.
WHY PUT EGGS IN STUFFING? Because it makes the stuffing moist. The eggs also act as a bit of a binder. It’s not tightly bound but helps the stuffing not to be crumbly.
Mix it all up well and you’re ready to either stuff the bird or bake the stuffing in a casserole dish. It’s a big debate over who likes to stuff the turkey and who doesn’t, I realize. Do what you’d like. I prefer my stuffing just a little crispier, so cooking it in a casserole dish allows the top of the bread to get a little toasty. And who doesn’t like herbed, buttered, toasted bread?!
Ingredients
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups butter
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 eggs
METHOD:
In a cast iron skillet, saute the onion and celery in the butter for 10-12 minutes, or until the onion and celery are tender.
Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the butter, onion and celery mixture over the breadcrumbs and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Put the stuffing in the prepared pan.Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.