What is your favorite part of your Thanksgiving meal?

[WI_DEM]

For me it just isn't Thanksgiving without the dressing. Here is a recipe we use:

29-30 slices white bread, lightly toasted- or mix it up and use your favorite bread instead: Croutons - Rye- French- Sourdough- Cornbread etc.


2 Tbsp butter


2 stalks celery, finely chopped


1 large onion, finely chopped


2 eggs, lightly beaten


4 cups chicken broth (2 cups will be reserved for basting-optional)


2 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage


1 Tsp garlic powder


1 Tsp thyme


salt to taste


pepper to taste


one small can mushrooms drained (optional)




Note: This will make approximately 24 - ½ cup servings.

DIRECTIONS:


Let the toasted bread stand overnight or until hard or you can place untoasted bread in the oven at 200* F for approximately 2 hours or until dry and crumbly.


Preheat oven to 325* F


Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.


Crush hard bread with a rolling pin until its crumbs (or you can do this by hand). Place the crumbs in a large mixing bowl.


Melt butter in a saucepan over med. heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft.


Remove from heat and drain any excess butter.


Lightly beat the 2 eggs then mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread crumbs. You want the mixture moist, but not mushy. You can add a little water if needed to reach the desired consistency.


Next add the onion, celery, mushrooms, rubbed sage, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper into the mixture.


Lightly press into your 9X13 baking dish.


Place in the oven and bake, basting occasionally with reserved chicken broth (optional), for 1 hr or until the top is browned.




Hopefully, you will come to love this version of thanksgiving dressing as much as my family does. Remember though it needs to suit your taste so feel free to switch it up and make it a recipe all your own. You can never have too many different thanksgiving stuffing recipes on hand or on the table. Enjoy

[mondo joe]

1. The entire meal is necessary - just as pedestal on which to put the dressing.

And dressing that is not sufficiently moist is an abomination.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. The first opportunity to leave my father's house.

[-..__...]

3. Taking a nap afterwards.

:boring: :-)

[Swede]

4. The mashed potatoes and gravy part.

The pumpking pie then nap after is pretty good,too.

[tridim]

5. I used to just like the smell of the bird and browning butter.

But ever since I learned about brining I now look forward to a week of MOIST turkey sandwiches. Mmmmmmmm...

[peace13]

6. Right before the meal is served.

Seated around the table with family and friends with the good food steaming hot and ready to eat! Happy Thanksgiving. peace, Kim

[BlooInBloo]

7. Um, *eating it*? Is this a trick question or something?

[DesertFlower]

8. not having to cook it. nt

[lukasahero]

15. Hee, I was going to post "cooking it" :)

I just took over the Thanksgiving dinner reins from my mother a few years ago and I love having her and my sister and my husband all gather in the kitchen preparing various parts. This year will be the first year my oldest nephew will join in the cooking fun (he's in his first year at Johnson and Wales culinary institute!) There is always an ample supply of flowing wine and laughter and it's not only the best part of the day but one of the things for which I am most thankful. :)

[DesertFlower]

23. i'm happy for you.

normally my mom would be here, but her dementia got very bad and i had to put her in a dementia care facility. they will be having a turkey dinner there. last year my niece flew here from DC and she spent a week with my mom. i'm glad she did because now mom doesn't know who anyone is.

we're going to the Black Angus. they're having a thanksgiving special but i think i'm going to have a steak.

[xxqqqzme]

9. I cube the bread before I dry it.

We like chunky dressing. A rolling pin makes it too bread crumby for our family.

But my favorite part of turkey day is pumpkin pie....today is cube & steam the pumpkin day in anticipation of pumpkin pie baking day which is Wednesday.

[frazzled]

10. Roasting chestnuts to add to that stuffing

It just isn't Thanksgiving around our house unless my husband and I get bloody fingers peeling those roasted chestnuts at midnight the night before, and swear we'll never do it again.

And then the next year we just can't live without roasting some chestnuts.

[MadBadger]

11. STUFFING

[Ian David]

12. Taking control of the remote, putting on The Science Channel in the middle of the football game...

... and then falling asleep while everyone else searches for the remote.

[gblady]

13. I'm a.....

mashed potatoes and gravy kinda gal!

[justgamma]

14. Picking at the leftovers! n/t

[Inspired]

16. Here's a little twist to your yummy stuffing recipe.....

substitute some of the chicken stock with a couple of cans of Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup. Also....add some chopped water chestnuts.

I don't have a recipe for this....lots of dried bread, sage, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, sauteed onion and celery. Add the water chestnuts and soup, then enough chicken stock to moisten.

It's also best if cooked in the bird, but I know some people would rather have it cooked outside of the bird. It's just not the same for me though.

[leftofthedial]

17. the nap after

recipe is really simple

couch, pillow, leftofthedial

mix gently for two hours

[rug]

18. We're skipping the turkey, just having the side dishes.

Half the family is vegetarian, the other half isn't. Last time we ate out it was all vegetarian. My 12 year old son drew a picture of a cheeseburger on a napkin and stared at it most of the meal.

[apocalypsehow]

20. Bummer. My in-laws put on a spread that includes Turkey, spiral Ham, Duck, & Roast Beef.

Drop by if you get hungry and find yourself in Overland Park. :9

[TahitiNut]

19. The best Thanksgiving dressing I ever had, beyond a doubt, was at a former DUer's in 2002.

She (Tinoire) made a sirloin/pate (toute carre?) dressing that was to DIE FOR! Finely ground lean beef and other ingredients ... like a pate or a "Toute Carre" ... moist, seasoned, and YUMMY. (Ask noiretblu - yum!)

[Ediacara]

21. Stuffing

My more or less ad hoc recipe:

Dried Bread Cubes

Sauted Chanterelle Mushrooms

Sauted Leeks

One Apple, cut into cubes

One or two slices of Bacon, cut into small squares and fried

Butter

Sage

Apple juice

[old mark]

22. This year the best part will be spending the day without going to relatives.

just the 2 of us and the animals.


mark

[Ignis]

24. Creamed pearl onion gravy ... over stuffing. (nt)

[Blue_In_AK]

25. Hanging out with the whole family.

The last few years we've done a Thanksgiving potluck including the extended families and friends of both my daughter and son-in-law, a big gathering, lots of food and laughs (especially since we're all Democrats). It's so much better than having to do the WHOLE THING which I did for many years. I love the cranberry relish. I come up with a new version every year.

This year I'm bringing the spinach balls (mmm), prosciutto-wrapped stuffed dates, cranberry relish, molded salad, and pumpkin cheesecake.

[Window]

26. Turkey, stuffing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.