Delicious Stuffing/Dressing For Any Occasion
My favorite holiday side dish is stuffing or dressing. Depending on where you live and how you cook it, you might think that stuffing and dressing are two different things but in truth, they are ultimately the same thing.
In the most technical terms, stuffing is stuffed (literally) inside the cavity of the turkey and cooked there. Dressing, on the other hand, is roasted in a separate vessel like a casserole dish (the preferred method of food safety experts).
In both cases, a delicious bread-and-herb casserole that's a must-have on any holiday table or occasion.
My Favorite Stuffing
The stuffing that tops the charts for me is my Cranberry Sage Stuffing. Savory-tart and herbaceous, this recipe is the perfect balance of flavor. The base is a mix of day-old french or Italian bread and premade cornbread combined with fresh sage, chopped celery, onions, beaten egg, and the tart chewy texture of dried cranberries baked to perfection. I've garnished it with fried sage for a beautiful holiday flair.
Cranberry Sage Stuffing with Fried Sage Garnish
Ingredients
- 5 cups day-old french or Italian bread cut or turn into bite sized chunks
- 3 cups prepared cornbread store-bought or day old works best
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 0.05 ounce packages fresh sage 1 package fine chopped 1 package for frying
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper
- cooking spray
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil for frying sage leaves
Instructions
- Pre-Heat oven to 375F.
- Using your hands pull the bread apart into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl combine bread with roughly chopped cornbread.
- Chop onion, celery, and 1 package of sage. Add to bread mixture
- Add egg, cranberries, chicken stock, and seasonings. Stir to combine. The mixture should resemble a very thick pancake batter
- Prepare a deep baking dish with some cooking spray or butter and pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes longer to brown the top.
Fried sage Leaves Optional
- Remove sage leaves from stems. Discard the stems.
- Heat vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Fast fry the sage leaves (30 seconds) turning once or twice. Remove sage leaves to a paper-lined plate to drain.
- Garnish stuffing with friend sage leaves.
FYI50+ MAGAZINE
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