Thanksgiving Stuffing

I’m no master of stuffing, and in fact, I’ve always left the preparation of it to my sisters or my wife, except back in the bachelor days when I’d simply prepare a small amount to go in the bird itself. But my family is crazy about stuffing, or ‘dressing,’ as they call it, because we always grew up as a family that cooked the stuffing in a separate pan instead of in the bird. (I stuff the bird now, because I’m a traditionalist, but we always make a pan or two of ‘dressing’ so there’s plenty to go around)


I wanted to include a stuffing recipe here to go along with my turkey, but since I don’t have must experience with the dish, I’ve had to defer to my wife, who has presented me with her Grandmother’s stuffing recipe, which I’ve transcribed for you below.

Dressing

1 loaf dry bread (I usually bake a French or Italian loaf a few days earlier, and let it stale up)
2 eggs, beaten
½ stick butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large celery sticks, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper
Water or giblet stock

Cut the bread in cubes and place in a large bowl. Pour the beaten eggs over the bread and mix. Melt the butter and fry the onion and celery until soft but not brown. Add the sage, stir and cook for a minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the water or giblet stock and let boil for a couple minutes. Then pour this liquid over the bread and mix up good. Add the mixture to the turkey cavity, or if desired, add it to a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350F.