Bread Stuffing
How much stuffing do you need? Plan on 1/2 to 3/4 cup serving of stuffing per person. Also see chart below.
Stuffing vs. Dressing Debate
Stuffing in the middle ages was known as farce, from the Latin farcire (and French farcir) meaning to stuff. Farce originally denoted a brief, lighthearted play stuffed in between lengthy religious productions to keep the audience from being bored. Forcemeat and farce were both common terms referring to a spiced chopped meat mixture, currently still in use when referring to sausage.
The term stuffing first appears in English print in 1538. After 1880, it seems the term stuffing did not appeal to the propriety of the Victorian upper crust, who began referring to it as dressing. Nowadays, the terms stuffing and dressing are used interchangeably, with stuffing being the term of preference in the South and East portions of the United States.
Oyster stuffing was very popular in the nineteenth century and remains so today. Southerners often prefer pecan, rice or cornbread stuffing. Italians like sausage in their stuffing. Dried fruit, potatoes, and apples are a favorite with Germans.
Stuffing Recipe with Raisins
I like to add raisins to my stuffing. It gives just a hint of sweetness. For Thanksgiving we usually add apple also. For variations, such as Apple and Pecan Stuffing and Chestnut Stuffing, see below.
Note: a 1-pound loaf of bread yields about 10 cups of fresh bread cubes, including the crust. This will make 8 to 10 cups of stuffing, 10 to 12 servings. Many recipes on the Internet suggest supermarket Italian or French bread, saying that bakery French bread is too open and does not absorb the chicken broth well. You can dry out the bread pieces by placing in a 250° oven for about an hour, stirring them every so often.
3 - 4 quarts (12 - 16 cups) dry bread, hand torn is best (dry bread absorbs more chicken stock, thus flavor)
4 tbsp. butter (1/2 stick) (some recipes use twice this amount if baking as a side dish and not inside the turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery including the leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. sage
1 Tbsp. thyme
Oregano
Marjoram
Rosemary
2 - 3 eggs, beaten
about 2 cups water or chicken stock, give or take depending on how dry the bread is
raisins, or other fruits and nuts (optional)
Cut up the bread in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
Melt the butter in a skillet and fry the onion and celery until translucent. Pour this mixture over the bread including the butter (I usually add some bread to the skillet to pick up any extra butter) and toss. Add the herbs and adjust. Use more sage and thyme than oregano, marjoram and rosemary, or use a premixed poultry seasoning. I go by smell. If I smell the herbs in the dressing, it is enough. Toss again to distribute the seasonings. Beat the eggs with some chicken stock, or a little water, and add to the bread mixture. Mix again tossing the mixture to keep the bread loose.
Pour enough water or chicken stock over all to moisten. If you started with dried bread, you will need to use more. You want the mixture moist, but you don't want the bread so wet that it sticks together. The perfect stuffing should just hold together. It will absorb more juices as it cooks inside the turkey. I also baste stuffing that is baked in a separate dish with stock or turkey drippings as it is baking to keep it moist.
Mix in a handful or two of raisins. Add other fruits and nuts at this point if you are using them.
Stuff the body and neck cavities of the bird loosely. Stuffing expands as it cooks. This will also shorten cooking time. As a rule of thumb, allow about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of poultry (see chart below). Some prefer to close the openings of the body and neck cavities with string or skewers to hold the stuffing inside. Usually, this is not necessary, and is optional.
Extra stuffing can be baked separately in a dish. Baste with meat drippings, butter, and or stock, and bake for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of your dish, until heated through. For a softer dressing, cover with aluminum foil or a lid; for a crispy brown crust, dot the top with butter and bake uncovered. You may want to cover for half the time to keep the dressing moist, and uncover the rest of the time to crisp the top. You will need to make a judgement given how wet the dressing is and how moist you like your dressing.
Make sure your stuffing, especially that which is inside the bird, reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F. to insure proper cooking and safety. If baking as a side dish, cover it with foil or a lid. It will take about an hour to reach this temperature. Uncover for last 10 or 15 minutes to brown the top.
Do ahead: Dressing that will be baked in a dish can be covered and baked, before browning, up to 3 days in advance; uncover and let cool, then cover and chill. Before reheating, remove the dressing from the fridge about an hour in advance. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 45–60 minutes. Baste a few times with meat drippings. A lot of recipes on the Internet say you can mix the dressing then refrigerate without cooking it first and that this allows the bread to soak up the liquid. Just make sure you use cold eggs when mixing and get it into the frig as soon as possible. The USDA guidelines do not recommend this as there is the possibility of food poisoning. Be sure to cook to the correct temperature either way.
Variations: You can add many different fresh and dried fruits and/or nuts to your stuffing. Dried cranberries are a good option for Thanksgiving. Below are some suggestions:
Apple Pecan Stuffing
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
1/2 - 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Follow the recipe for traditional Bread Stuffing, adding the apples and pecans in place of the raisins.
Chestnut Stuffing
1 - 2 cups chestnuts, steamed
and shelled, then coarsely chopped
Follow the recipe for traditional Bread Stuffing, adding the chestnuts in place of, or in addition to, the raisins.
Giblet Stuffing
Simmer the turkey neck and giblets (except the liver) in 3 cups turkey or chicken broth until tender, 1 hour. Add the liver and cook 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the broth, then chop the giblets (including the liver) and the neck meat. Make the Stuffing, adding the giblets and the reserved broth in place of the raisins.
Stuffing Calculation Chart
| Quantity of Stuffing | Size of Bird to Stuff | Number of Servings |
| 1 pint | 3-4 pounds | 2-3 |
| 1-1/2 pints | 5-6 pounds | 4-5 |
| 1 quart | 6-8 pounds | 6 |
| 1-1/2 quarts | 8-10 pounds | 8 |
| 2 quarts | 10-12 pounds | 10 |
| 3 quarts | 12-15 pounds | 12-14 |
| 4 quarts (1 gallon) | 15-20 pounds | 18-20 |
