Small Batch Stuffing Recipe for Thanksgiving - Amanda Wilens (2024)

FAQs

Is stuffing better with or without eggs? ›

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.

Best Classic: Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing

Though we preferred the seasoning in the Arnold stuffing in general, we didn't always love its perfect little cubes. We pined for something more like fresh torn bread, with some little crumbs and some irregular shards.

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. "Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop," Chef David Tiner, Director at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living.

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

Make the stuffing, melt butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté onion and garlic for five minutes until soft. Stir in the herbs for one minute then add breadcrumbs to absorb butter. Mix in zest, pine nuts and seasoning and cook over medium heat for about seven minutes until crumbs start to brown and crisp.

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.

The “most expensive stuffing in the world” of this gold turkey is made of Japanese pork that costs $475 per pound, and both white and black truffles, while the turkey gravy is infused with a $3,300 bottle of bourbon.

MADE FROM: ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, SUGAR, YEAST, MOLASSES, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: VEGETABLE OILS (CANOLA AND/OR SUNFLOWER AND/OR PALM), SPICES, CELERY, ONION POWDER, CALCIUM PROPIONATE TO EXTEND FRESHNESS, ROSEMARY ...

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.

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.

How much stuffing do I need for 20 people? ›

In order to fill the cavity of the bird you are stuffing, you should make 3/4 cup of stuffing per person. You may not be able to fit all the stuffing into your turkey. If this is the case, then you can even make a casserole to fill up your guests!

How much stuffing per person? A 14-ounce bag of stuffing makes about 11 servings; a 6-ounce box of stuffing mix makes 6 servings.

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

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.

You want your stuffing moist but not soggy and certainly not dry. The bread in the stuffing absorbs moisture, but if it's dry (as it should be, see above), it takes some time for the liquid to settle in. I suggest adding a little at a time, say 1 cup of broth for every 4 cups of dry mix.