This is the stuffing I remember from my childhood. It is something of a comfort food and reminds me of the warmth of the holidays gathering around the table with my parents and especially my Grandma.
I should note that there are two ways to cook this – in the bird and out of the bird. If it is in the bird it is stuffing. If it is out of the bird it is dressing. I always make some both ways because my mom likes the yummy flavor stuffing only gets from cooking inside the bird and my dad thinks it is kind of gross to eat anything that comes out of a bird’s body cavity so he prefers dressing.
Ingredients
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 cups dry bread cubes
16 ounces vegetable broth
Method
1. Dry the bread… Open one whole loaf of the bread of your choice. Cut it into cubes and allow it to sit out in a very large bowl or on a baking sheet for one or more days. (It takes longer for the bread to dry in a bowl so allow several days if this is your method).
2. In a saucepan cook the celery and onion in the butter until tender but not brown. Stir in the sage, salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
3. Pour the celery and onion mixture over the dried bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
4. Slowly add the broth, one cup at a time to the bread mixture. It may require more or less broth to reach the desired very moist consistency.
5. Place the stuffing in a bird or in a baking dish (of dressing outside the bird).
If baking outside the bird, cover the baking dish and bake for about one hour until the top is slightly browned and a little crusted.
Servings: 10
Source: Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook