A turkey isn’t complete without its delicious classic turkey dressing or stuffing. Toasted bread flavored with butter, onion, celery and poultry season will set this holiday dinner side dish apart from all the others.
Thanksgiving would not be the same without my Mom’s classic turkey dressing (or, as some like to call it, stuffing). For as long as I can remember, my Mom and Grandmother prepared this dressing for every holiday turkey.
They would work side by side in the kitchen, toasting the bread, sauteing the vegetables and mixing it in the biggest pot they could find. As I got older I got to help toast the bread and stuff the turkey. It was such a happy, fun time to have all the girls in the kitchen working together, laughing and just generally enjoying ourselves.
I continued the tradition when I had my own family and it always has a prominent place on the Thanksgiving table. Now that the kids are all grown with families of their own, I know when they visit, that they expect to see that dressing on our holiday table.
In the last few years, my daughter learned she had a gluten-intolerance, and this dressing was one of the things she missed the most. I have tried making it with gluten-free bread and it turns out good but a little bit heavier than the regular recipe. I’ve also made her a quinoa dressing that is out-of-this-world delicious that can be substituted for those with sensitivities.
In the end, I don’t think there has ever been a Thanksgiving or Christmas when I didn’t fix it, home or away! I hope you enjoy this good old home cooked dressing as much as we do.
- 1 loaf bread, toasted & cubed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 cup celery, about 2-3 stalks, chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Prepare cubed bread and place in large bowl. Add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Place chopped celery in a 4-cup microwave safe measuring cup, cover with water and plastic wrap, and cook for 5 minutes at 70% power. Set aside.
- Place onion in a 4-cup microwave safe measuring cup with butter, cover with plastic wrap, and cook for 3 minutes at 90% power. Make sure you use a large enough measuring cup so that the butter does not boil over. Set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop out celery from water and add to bread cubes. Reserve celery water. Pour onion-butter mixture into cubes and stir well to combine. Pour a small amount of celery water at a time into the dressing mixture until bread is slightly damp. You will use about 1/2 cup in total.
- Place back in empty bread bag and store in the refrigerator until ready to cook turkey. There is enough dressing here for a 12 pound turkey. I usually double the recipe for my 20 lb. turkey.
- Important: Do not stuff a turkey until just prior to cooking.
You can also prepare a few weeks ahead and freeze until day before usage.
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