Mid Atlantic Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• Toast bread cubes for 10 to 15 minutes in a 325 degree F oven until golden. Transfer to bowl.
• Saute 1 pound meat, crumbled or cubed in skillet over medium heat until brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to bread bowl.
• In same skillet, melt the butter. Add onions, and celery to skillet. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Combine softened vegetables, herbs, spices, dried fruits, nuts, and remaining vegetables with bread/meat mixture.
• Add just enough stock to moisten bread mixture. Pack the neck and cavity loosely with stuffing, folding the neck skin under and fastening with a skewer. Or lightly pack stuffing into large, shallow, stoneware baking dish. For a stuffed bird: Roast turkey at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes per pound, or until turkey temperature reaches 180 degrees and juices run clear when thigh is pierced.
• For loose stuffing: Drizzle with stock, cover and bake at 325 degree F for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and brown an additional 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Divide bread between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until golden, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms; stir until mushrooms begin to soften and release juices, about 5 minutes. Add celery and stir 2 minutes. Mix contents of skillet into bread cubes. Mix in chestnuts, thyme, rosemary and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• TO bake stuffing in turkey:
• Mix 1/2 cup chicken broth into stuffing. Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover stuffing with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in a dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 45 minutes.
• To bake all stuffing in pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil. Bake until heated through, about 1 hour 15 minutes.