Turkey Stuffing / Dressing

[I_call_the_duck]

This is what my parents do and I love it.  Unfortunately, for the past 7 years I've spent Thanksgiving at my in-laws so I haven't had the cooked-in-the-turkey version for a while.  (My parents will make some outside of the bird when I'm home for Christmas.  Still great, but not the same.)

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Poor thing. Time to put your foot down and demand that you have it at your parents'.

My mom won't stuff the turkey. She she says it's too fatty. Uhh...but isn't that the point!? Anyway, we're having two Thanksgivings this year. My cousins in-law on Thursday, where I'll expect a less traditional but equally delicious meal, and another on Saturday, with turkey, sticky rice and all the trimmings. I lucked out this year because my sister's husband has to work on Thursday, but she and her brood are coming in on Friday night for the family get-together.

[Swisskaese]

One year my father decided to do something different with the Thanksgiving turkey and he made the most amazing stuffing from a recipe from Gourmet magazine.

Fruit and Nut Stuffing

[Jason Perlow]

Last night when having sunday chicken dinner, we tested out the White Castle Turkey Stuffing recipe. We actually cooked it in a pan and shoved it in the oven as opposed to stuffing it in a turkey, but it was great. Really tasty. In a white trash, trailer park way.

The only modifications we made (other than not shoving it into the bird) was adding more chicken stock and sauteed mushrooms. Next time I will add more sage, and a bit of salt though.

Instead of using cooked burgers bought from an actual White Castle, we used the frozen ones you can buy in the supermarket, since they have no pickles or ketchup on them and have less grease. You can buy the same frozen burgers from a White Castle location as well.

[melkor]

The white castle stuffing may qualify as the least appealing recipe I've ever seen here. I think I'll stick with the wild mushroom stuffing I had planed to make.

[Jason Perlow]

I had my doubts dave, but it was actually pretty tasty. I'm a White Castle fiend, but I originally heard about this recipe from Arthur Schwartz -- and whatever you can say about Arthur, he remains a man of taste.

We plan to make other stuffings (dressings) on the side, but this is what we plan to stuff the turkey with.

Generally speaking I like to start with a stuffing mix like Pepperidge Farm and then "doctor" it. I don't think you get the optimal stuffing effects from using fresh bread.

[I_call_the_duck]

Jason, did you take a picture of that stuffing? I'm still morbidly curious about it, but can't bring myself to try it. I did have a perverse pleasure in mentioning it to my friends, who were appropriately horrified at the concept. Can't wait to mention it to my family. Just the look on their faces, esp. my health-conscious sister, will be priceless! We'll stick with Mom's sticky rice, thank you.

[chow guy]

The white castle stuffing may qualify as the least appealing recipe I've ever seen here.  I think I'll stick with the wild mushroom stuffing I had planed to make.

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I wasn't thinking in terms of wild mushrooms for stuffing this year but your post has piqued some interest. Would you care to share your recipe?

[Jason Perlow]

Jason, did you take a picture of that stuffing?  I'm still morbidly curious about it, but can't bring myself to try it.  I did have a perverse pleasure in mentioning it to my friends, who were appropriately horrified at the concept. Can't wait to mention it to my family.  Just the look on their faces, esp. my health-conscious sister, will be priceless!  We'll stick with Mom's sticky rice, thank you.

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I didn't take a photo of it -- I will when we do the real deal. But guess what... it looks and tastes like... stuffing! With hamburger meat in it. Amazing, isn't it?

[Jason Perlow]

I just found this in my email:

Hi Jason,

I just read through the thread—thanks for sharing.  Glad you like the WC stuffing; of course I’m biased but I think it’s great.  I know it would do well in a blind taste test against any other stuffing!  It’s funny, I would think of all people ‘foodies’ would be most open to trying new recipes—but then again it’s not too surprising to see skeptics either I suppose.  Hopefully they’ll try it sometime and be converted to the truth!  Keep on fighting the good fight!!  J

--Steve Zvonek

Brand Manager

White Castle Mgmt. Co.

zvoneks@whitecastle.com

[Gifted Gourmet]

thanks for sharing.  Glad you like the WC stuffing

What? No attached coupon for a free bag of White Castles for their Number One Patron? They owe you for your continuing support both personally as well as on this website!

Ahem, ahem ...

[fifi]

I really have to mention the tamales. One year, we read an article by Jean Andrews (the pepper lady) in some magazine about her family tradition of a tamale turkey. First, you insert, from the inside, some hot peppers into the meaty parts. She used chile pequins. Then you put tamales into the cavity and line the bottom of the roasting pan with tamales. Oh . . . the tamales are shucked first. Then you oil and salt the turkey and bake as normal. The best part is the tamales in the bottom of the pan that shlurp up the drippings. As I recall, I ate tamales and ignored the turkey.

[menton1]

Several newspaper articles have appeared recently warning against the health risks of actually cooking the stuffing inside the bird; apparently bacteria can grow depending on the temperature of the turkey, and cooking time can be different for the bird itself and the stuffing.

Any good ways of making tasty stuffing on the stove top or separately in the oven? (And not that Stovetop brand stuff, please! It's horrid!)

[I_call_the_duck]

Several newspaper articles have appeared recently warning against the health risks of actually cooking the stuffing inside the bird; apparently bacteria can grow depending on the temperature of the turkey, and cooking time can be different for the bird itself and the stuffing. 

Any good ways of making tasty stuffing on the stove top or separately in the oven?   (And not that Stovetop brand stuff, please! It's horrid!)

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Articles such as these come out every year around this time, so it's nothing new.

I've never tried this myself, nor am I sure how true this is, but I've read that if you stuff the bird right before it goes in the oven and remove the stuffing immediately after it comes out of the oven (a stuffed bird does take longer than one that is unstuffed), you lessen the risk of harmful bacteria growing.

Maybe you can drizzle some of the turkey juices on top of the stuffing?

Edited November 23, 2005 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[Ling]

^Or maybe just add some schmaltz or duck fat to the dressing mixture.

[menton1]

Several newspaper articles have appeared recently warning against the health risks of actually cooking the stuffing inside the bird; apparently bacteria can grow depending on the temperature of the turkey, and cooking time can be different for the bird itself and the stuffing.

Any good ways of making tasty stuffing on the stove top or separately in the oven? (And not that Stovetop brand stuff, please! It's horrid!)

[Jason Perlow]

Several newspaper articles have appeared recently warning against the health risks of actually cooking the stuffing inside the bird; apparently bacteria can grow depending on the temperature of the turkey, and cooking time can be different for the bird itself and the stuffing.

Any good ways of making tasty stuffing on the stove top or separately in the oven? (And not that Stovetop brand stuff, please! It's horrid!)

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Use lots of stock. More than what a recipe calls for if it's supposed to be stuffed in the cavity.

The whole deal with stuffing flavor is replacing the moisture that is lost from having the bread dried out (you have to start with dried out bread or you don't get the correct texture -- this is why I think your basic bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix is a good place to start, as it really is just dried bread cubes with some dried spices added) with either bird juices or stock. I would use a turkey stock or a strong chicken stock, and if you are using fresh herbs, use 2 or 3 times the amount as dried herbs. If the stock is not salted, liberally add salt and pepper.

A combination of sauteed Fresh and reconstituted dried mushrooms (which you can put in the chicken stock to bring them back to life) as well as finely chopped sweated onions and sauteed celery is also going to add a lot of flavor to a stuffing/dressing.

[amccomb]

I stuff right before the turkey goes into the oven, and remove the stuffing right away. Then, as the turkey rests, I pop the stuffing in a casserole dish and put it back into the oven until it reaches 160 degrees. That way it's safe, and it tastes good.

[birder53]

I just finished making the "dressing" - bread, celery, onion, sausage and apple. We're deep frying two turkeys this year, so stuffing the bird is out of the question.

[menton1]

I just finished making the "dressing"  - bread, celery, onion, sausage and apple.  We're deep frying two turkeys this year, so stuffing the bird is out of the question.

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Question: How does one dispose of the used cooking oil after the cooking is done?

[chezcherie]

I really have to mention the tamales. One year, we read an article by Jean Andrews (the pepper lady) in some magazine about her family tradition of a tamale turkey. First, you insert, from the inside, some hot peppers into the meaty parts. She used chile pequins. Then you put tamales into the cavity and line the bottom of the roasting pan with tamales. Oh . . . the tamales are shucked first. Then you oil and salt the turkey and bake as normal. The best part is the tamales in the bottom of the pan that shlurp up the drippings. As I recall, I ate tamales and ignored the turkey. 

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due to family illness and a death, we have had two traditional menu thanksgiving dinners already this month (while family members were in town).

we were just going to roast a turkey breast, and go feed the homeless in the park today, but the idea of a tamale-stuffed turkey caught our fancy, so, since we feel no obligation to cling to tradition today (already "clung"), we are looking forward to seeing what this is all about!

tamale-stuffed turkey, and a few hours in the park, remembering what we have to be thankful for, ought to make for a memorable thanksgiving 2005!

happy turkey day to all.

[JeAnneS]

I just wanted to thank you so much for this recipe...it was fantastic and I'm sitting here stuffed to the gills from eating a plate that was probably 50% stuffing I cut back on the butter and added a bit of chicken broth as I was cooking this outside the bird. Really fantastic.

Great topic! Here is my recipe, which I have "perfected" (ha!) over the past 20 years. I based it on a recipe in the Silver Palate cookbook, adding a couple of things... I have to say that no other stuffing ever tastes better to me or my family than this!  I must admit that some years I've "cheated" and bought good bakery white and wheat breads instead of making them homemade. (A bread machine is really great for making the white and wheat breads ahead of time!) I do believe using all 3 types of bread makes this extra special.

Favorite Stuffing

12T sweet butter (1-1/2 sticks)

2-1/2C finely chopped onions

6 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

3 tart apples, chunked (don’t peel)

1 lb. bulk sausage (with sage)

3C coarsely crumbled cornbread

3C coarsely crumbled wheat bread, homemade if possible

3C coarsely crumbled white bread, homemade if possibe

4-8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste...this really makes a difference; adds fabulous flavor!!)

1-1/2C coarsely chopped pecans (I sometimes leave these out for my son who prefers no nuts)

2 handfuls of dried cherries (you can use raisins or dried cranberries instead)

2t thyme

1t sage

salt & pepper to taste

1/2C Italian parsley, chopped

Melt 6T butter in skillet.  Add onions & clelery and cook partially covered until onion is tender. Transfer to huge bowl.  Melt remaining butter in same skillet.  Add apples and cook over high heat until colored lightly, but not mushy.  Put in same bowl. Brown sausage in same skillet; drain; add to bowl.  Add remaining ingreds, mixing lightly with hands or wooden spoons.  Cool completely before stuffing into bird.

For extra casserole (and there will be one!)

Place stuffing in dish and cover with lid or foil.  Place in larger pan. Fill larger pan with hot water 1/2 way up the sides.  Bake at 325 30-40 min. Can baste with turkey juices if it needs moisture.

Or... just put in a baking dish, and bake until hot.  Top will be crusty, which is how we like it!!

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[Jason Perlow]

Here's a photo of the "dreaded" White Castle Hamburger stuffing

It was a HUGE hit with our hosts.

[birder53]

I just finished making the "dressing"  - bread, celery, onion, sausage and apple.  We're deep frying two turkeys this year, so stuffing the bird is out of the question.

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Question: How does one dispose of the used cooking oil after the cooking is done?

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Once the oil cools, put it back in the container it came in and throw it out. Unless you want to filter it through cheese cloth to clean it and store it for another turkey fry, ditch it. We did three turkeys this year. One for the main course, another for lots of leftovers for guests to take home and then one of our overnight guests brought a turkey along which they fried this morning to take home.

Peanut oil was much more expensive and harder to find when we first started doing this. It would cost around $80 for five gallons. We paid around $25 for 5 gallons this year and consider it a bargain.

[robyn]

Several newspaper articles have appeared recently warning against the health risks of actually cooking the stuffing inside the bird; apparently bacteria can grow depending on the temperature of the turkey, and cooking time can be different for the bird itself and the stuffing.

Any good ways of making tasty stuffing on the stove top or separately in the oven? (And not that Stovetop brand stuff, please! It's horrid!)

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This is a day late and a dollar short for this Thanksgving - but perhaps it will help in the future. I used to make my stuffing in the turkey. Don't know whether it was unsafe - but it always came out a bit greasy - and I had to "cut it" with uncooked stuffing to lighten it up. Plus I never knew what to do with the stuffing while I was letting the turkey "rest".

Then I found a recipe for stuffing made in the oven in the NYT (from Tom Colicchio from Craft) that was quite good. I modified it a bit - and you can modify it more. But it basically goes like this.

Cook a pound of your favorite sausage (I use Jimmy Dean with sage) - crumbling it as it cooks. Leave the sausage fat in the pan and drain the sausage on paper towels.

Saute some carrots - celery - a couple of leeks - a small onion - a fennel bulb - and a couple of cloves of garlic - all diced - in the reserved fat. Add some butter if you need some more fat.

Beat up 4 eggs with 2 cups of chicken broth. Add bread cubes (I use a 1 pound bag of regular Pepperidge Farm stuffing) - but you can use bread cubes to taste.

Add the sausage and sauted vegetables to the bread mixture.

Add 2 tablespoons of toasted fennel seeds - and a cup of golden raisins soaked in hot water to plump. Add some thyme and sage (1 tsp. to 1 tablespoon depending on whether fresh or dried).

Bake in 350 degree oven covered for 30 minutes (I use disposable metal pans covered with aluminum foil). Remove foil and bake until stuffing is brown - about 10 minutes more.

You can make this in the morning - put it in the refrigerator - and then cook in the late afternoon. If refrigerated - the cooking time will be longer.

This is just a basic recipe. If you don't like fennel or raisins - you can leave them out. If you want some other tastes - you can add things. This will wind up moist and light and tasty - and - although it lacks "the taste of the bird" - you can remedy that by adding some pan gravy. Robyn

[ErinB]

Does anyone have a recipe for a very moist buttery cornbread/sage stuffing? I had this a few years ago at a restaurant and it was amazing.

Last year I made a cornbread/ham/chestnut stuffing out of the Gourmet cookbook that was ok, but didn't come close.