I prefer a simple bread, onion, celery and sage dressing. Nothing easier. I cut a loaf of white bread into cubes. Cube size doesn't really matter, just whatever size you prefer.

Let the cubes dry over night.

Saute onions and celery in butter until almost tender. Add a little chicken broth and simmer a little longer. Season with either fresh minced or dry rubbed sage, lots of fresh ground black pepper and salt. Pour mixture over bread cubes, toss to moisten. Add a little more chicken broth if needed. Add chopped parsley and your dressing is ready. You can stuff your bird or bake separately in a covered casserole dish.

Ann

My recipe is pretty much identical to Ann T's, except I add an egg and I always stuff the bird.

this year I wanted to try a wild rice stuffing with some of the wild rice Teresa sent me, but my kids want the "traditional" stuffing and Elery wants a sid4e dish of cornbread stuffing, so I think that's enough, LOL. I'll do a chicken later with wild rice stuffing...

Annie

Annie

My stuffing is pretty much identical to Ann's. I have never liked the addition of sausage, apples, cornbread, oysters, gizzards, raisins etc,

I like it plain and simple!

I cube rustic French bread. Ditto AnnT's recipe. Fresh fennel mingles nicely with the above seasonings (I use Bell's poultry seasoning as my spice) and also ditto Annie's egg. That said, if we were the ONLY ones eating it I would put a pint of oysters and their liquid...and probably another egg. In the turkey is my preference.

seagrass

Yes I know everyone is anti-box dressing/stuff but I have to mention a story my sister (great cook!) told me. She's been on a life long mission to find the best stuffing recipe so she was at a friends house and was blown over by her wonderful dressing so she asked for her recipe and the friend says "oh it's Stove Top!" HAHA!

gillylilly:

I have used all the different Stuffing mixes and settled on this mixture, which everyone likes.

I have found thru the years, a lot of people don't like Sage or Fennel.
I think that's what is in Stove Top but many use it.
Not knocking someones Tastes, just trying to keep the Majority Happy.
I use this combo for many other things ( Stuffed Peppers,Fish, etc. and add accordingly.
****************************************

LouâÂÂs Stuffing

( Double for Turkey )

1 Celery stalk, (10in. Piece ) and 1/2 of a Med. onion (chopped small) and
Cooked in Micro Wave until tender (about 2 1/2 min.)
Some Bell Pepper may also be added.

In a large Bowl mix:

1 cup of small bread cubes ( I use Italian Bread cubed and dried )
2 cups of Italian Bread crumbs. Smash some cubes; in a ziplock, with a rolling pin.
1 cup of Rice Crispies ( optional )
1 tablesp. Parsley Flakes
2 tablesp. Of Locatelli grated cheese
1 teasp. Of Onion Powder
1 level teasp. Of Garlic Powder ( or more to taste )
1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
Salt to taste ( about ý teaspoon )

Optional- 1 piece of Italian Sausage 10 in. long, skinned and
cut into small pieces. Sautee till medium rare.

Add the cooked Onion and Celery.
Put 1 egg into a cup of chicken stock , or Chicken Soup Base )
beat well and mix this into the other ingredients.
Add a little water, if the mixture is too dry.

Add more sausage, Mushrooms, or whatever you like.
Lou

I like the good ole basic bread stuffing too. Tried lots of different stuffings but that's the one I'm making. I did look at a box of Stovetop once - one of the main ingredients is high fructose corn syrup. (Why?!)

Thanks everyone for your help! I really appreciate it. This was my first time posting on this forum (I think, but i am on GW so frequently maybe I have posted on cooking before) and I am so excited to have found another great group of responders! I will surely be back as I am trying to cook more frequently.
Thanks again!

Seagrass, I don't like raw oysters, but I love oyster stew, go figure. I've threatened to make oyster stuffing and haven't. So you just dump oysters/liquid into your regular bread/sage/onion kind of stuffing or is the seasoning different?

Annie

I usually make it just like Ann does too. I do like to add the sausage and sometimes dried cranberries but I really love just plain old stuffing! Stove Top isn't bad in a pinch but I do prefer the homemade.
Joann

My X wanted only Stove Top. I've always made it like Ann but once in a while I'll add small can of mushrooms.

Good morning, Annie. My father always put oysters in the bread stuffing when I was growing up, so the "ick" factor became tradition. Yes - I just add the oysters and their liquor to the same regular bread/sage/onion kind of stuffing. I don't put any other liquid in there until I see how moist it is from the oyster liquor. Then I just follow the same method as AnnT and you describe, adding chicken broth and egg(s). I use Bell's Poultry seasoning. Cooking outside of the bird I'd use several eggs and baste with turkey broth as the casserole cooked. I leave the oysters whole, because I like a nice mouthful, but some recipes call for chopping them.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday.

seagrass

Thank you, and a happy holiday to you too. I thought of this thread last night, "fresh" oysters were $3.99 a half pint and I nearly picked up a container. Maybe this weekend, you know I'm just going to have to try the oysters in stuffing...

I used to only eat the "stew" part of oyster stew, but I learned to like the oysters, much to my father's dismay. I used to pick the oysters out of my bowl and give them to him and that was a tradition he really enjoyed, LOL.

Annie

Pretty much like Ann with some exceptions. I do not saute my celery and onion beforehand since it cooks in the dressing. I use only cornbread crumbs because I don't like the texture of the dressing with other bread in it. Then to make it stick together somewhat I use several beaten eggs in with the broth I pour over the dressing to cook it.

I'm like Ann T - I love traditional, simple bread stuffing and use that to stuffs. Today I tried Bell's Poultry seasoning out of curiosity. But I've got a whole box left so I need to figure out what else to do with it!

DH like sausage, and also oyster, stuffing so we buy that and some other sides from a local chef who does a wonderful job. I like a little of each, but prefer unadorned stuffing overall.

Sue

I always made my mothers never really liked it till I went to a banquet one day sat beside a lady that made the stuffing.It was delicious.I said tell me how you do it.Ive been making it ever since, about 30 years.
Melt butter in frypan,add chopped onions,celery,parsley,saute a little,add torn bread as much as you want to make.Fry a little till light brown.You can either bake it in bowl,or stuff chicken or turkey ,great with beef too.

Gillylily, welcome to the forum. We are the best (mostly)!

I've used Stove Top certain years, I love their spice blend, I just made sure I doctored it a bit with roasted celery and onion, also a few tablespoons of very finely chopped walnuts.

I found this too late but thought I would post my version of an easy stuffing/dressing. One year I started making it with grits to save time, and everyone thought I had used cornbread. I've gone back to the cornbread recipe, however, because I like to make cornbread. Anyway, here's the simplified version:

Grits Faux Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil or grape seed oil
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 tbsp soup base, mushroom, chicken, vegetable, or a combination
1/8 tsp cayenne (or dash of hot sauce)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1-2 tsp dried sage (according to your taste)
3/4 cup quick grits (be sure not to use "instant") - can substitute polenta
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
2 cups dry bread, in small cubes

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions begin to be translucent. The celery must stay crunchy. Add the water (or broth, if you have it), soup base, cayenne, and herbs, and stir to combine. Take the pan off heat, and add the quick grits slowly while stirring. Stir for one minute off heat, and return to low heat. Cover and cook five minutes more (for a total of six minutes), stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350ð. Beat the eggs with the 2 tbsp water, and then combine with the bread cubes. Transfer the bread to a 9x13 baking dish, add the cooked grits, and stir to combine.

Bake covered for about 10 minutes - longer if the grits have been made ahead and have cooled. If you like it less moist, you can bake it uncovered.

Lars

This year I didn't have enough cornmeal to make the cornbread (I needed 1-1/2 cups and only had 1/4 cup), and so I substitute 1/4 grits, and it came out fine.