My Favorite Stuffing Recipe

A few years ago I came to the conclusion that regardless of what I thought... I COULDN'T do it all! This especially rings true at Thanksgiving time, I used to run around the kitchen like a crazy woman trying to cook, entertain my guests and keep everything clean. NOT ANY MORE! Now I cook and freeze my sides the week before turkey day, this way all I have to do is reheat them. Of course I still cook my turkey, ham, gravy and rolls on Thanksgiving, but for the most part I get everything else done ahead of schedule.

Today I made my favorite stuffing recipe, this is the same one my mom made while I was growing up. It's from the old red Betty Crocker cookbook and I absolutely love it. I've adapted it a bit, but for the most part it tastes just like mom used to make.

Ingredients
2 loaves cheap white bread, broken up into pieces
3 c Chopped Celery (with leaves)
1 1/2 c Finely Chopped Onions
1 1/2 c Butter
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Sage
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Pepper
1-1 1/2 c Chicken or Turkey Stock


Either dry your bread out the night before, or if you live in a humid place like me tear it into pieces and place on cookie sheet and bake in low oven for 20 minutes, or until dry. Cook and stir celery and onion in butter in large pot until celery is tender; remove from heat.

Take dried bread and pour chicken or turkey stock over the top, just enough to slightly dampen bread. Add spices to celery and onion mixture and then stir in bread. Mix together and pour into casserole dish. Cover and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. My husband always likes it a little bit brown on top, so I usually take the cover off after 30 minutes and continue to bake it just long enough for a crust to form (10 min or so)

Ingredients

Include the celery leaves

Yumm, butter, onions and celery

Spices

Pour some chicken stock over the top of bread crumbs

Just enough to soak it up

Add spices, then bread

yummmmm

Ready for the freezer

Enjoy!