This Herbed Turkey Stuffing Recipe Might Taste Better Than Grandma's (2024)

FAQs

Why add eggs to turkey stuffing? ›

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

Turkey stuffing was popularized in the early days of Thanksgiving, as it is written in many 16th-century Boston area documents. Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables that are reconstituted with liquid, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and baked until it is firm and finished cooking.

Here's an important Thanksgiving food safety tip that will surprise many: USDA doesn't recommend stuffing a whole turkey. The practice increases the risk of cross-contamination and takes the turkey longer to cook. Cook stuffing separately instead.

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark. If the bird is done before the stuffing, remove stuffing from the cavities and continue to cook in a baking dish.

It's all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. I don't use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.

Eggs add richness to the stuffing, and makes it cohere better. I'd use two eggs per pound of bread.

Breads such as sour dough, French bread or Italian loaves are for the best bread for stuffing. Their soft-but-sturdy interiors are the perfect texture for stuffing. The pieces retain their shape without crumbling.

Preparation. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, pears, onions and celery, and sauté until translucent and softened, about 10 minutes. To a large mixing bowl, add the fruit-aromatics mixture, cubed bread, eggs and Bell's seasoning, and mix to combine.

"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.

Besides stuffing, you can put aromatic ingredients like onions, garlic, herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, or sage), citrus slices (lemon or orange), and vegetables (carrots, celery) inside your turkey to add flavor during roasting. Remember to remove these ingredients before serving.

Is stuffing bad for you? ›

It probably comes as no surprise that stuffing isn't the healthiest addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving plate, but that's no reason to omit it. Typically high in fat, carbs and salt, stuffing can be made fresh or purchased chilled, frozen or dehydrated.

However, it's virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils. This is called cross-contamination, which can make you and your guests very sick.

As a general guideline, you'll need about 3/4 to 1 cup of stuffing per pound of poultry. Ensure the stuffing is cooked thoroughly to a safe internal temperature, which is 165°F (74°C). It's essential to pack the stuffing loosely inside the bird, as it will expand during cooking.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Potatoes only take 4-6 minutes so I usually do them after the turkey is finished. But you CAN cook them right in with the turkey. Like this: put the potatoes in a steamer basket if it will fit in on top or beside the turkey. If not, make a tin foil boat to hold the potatoes and fit them in wherever you can.

Should you add egg to stuffing or dressing? It's a matter of preference, but adding a beaten egg to your stuffing mixture acts as a binder and keeps the bread moist. Moisture is what holds all the ingredients together, rather than turning it into something resembling croutons and roasted vegetables.

Boone: After they lay their eggs, turkeys incubate their nests for 28 days on average. They have precocial young – which means that when they hatch out, they're able to move and forage on their own. They have to be able to hide in the cover of low vegetation so they can escape predators from the ground and the air.