I think it needs to be crumbled up or chopped finely to break up the gluey consistency. You must change its form, then dry it out - or I would mix it into meatloaf, meatballs, or add more cornbread or dried cubed bread, mix all with just a little broth to moisten and gently pile it into a casserole dish - DO NOT PACK IT DOWN! - that's what made it gluey in the first place, then bake again. Turkey Stuffing Bake ~leftover stuffing/dressing- put on the bottom of a greased casserole ~chopped turkey meat or chicken- mix into gravy, bechamel sauce, or cream of chicken soup and pour over stuffing in casserole - add some grated Swiss cheese if desired ~top with more crumbled stuffing ~ bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes Teresa

I have two recipes I use -- one more traditional than the other. People seem to enjoy both, so I keep making two recipes each year. Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins, and Pine Nuts (Note: I omit the raisins!) Serves 12 Nonstick veg. oil spray 2 - 14 1/2 oz loaves country-style white sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 16 cups) 8 Tbs olive oil 1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 1/2 ozs) 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 2 very large red onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 ozs) 3 1/2 c. coarsely chopped celery 2 large red bell peppers, coarsely chopped 8 garlic cloves, chopped 4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary 4 tsp. dried oregano 3/4 c raisins (I omit) 3/4 c pine nuts, toasted 1/2 - 3/4 c thinly sliced fresh basil 4 large eggs, beaten to blend extra broth Preheat oven to 400. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Place half of bread pieces in large bowl. Add 3 Tbs. oil and toss to coat, then add 1/2 c Parmesan cheese and toss. Spread bread in single layer on 1 prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining bread, 3 Tbs oil, and 1/2 c cheese; spread on second sheet. Bake bread until golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets. Transfer to very large bowl. (I do this the night before and store in air-proof container until next day.) Melt 1/4 c. butter with remaining 2 Tbs. oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers; saute until vegetables begin to brown and are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add chopped garlic, rosemary, and oregano; stir 1 minute. Add raisins and pine nuts; stir 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread. Stir 1/2 c. basil and remaining 1/2 c Parmesan into stuffing. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix eggs into stuffing. Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter 15x10x2 inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to moisten (3/4 c to 1 1/4 cups) Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake untiil heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer. (from Bon Appetit 2001) This is a new version of a traditional recipe for a slow cooker: Old-Fashioned Sage Stuffing Casserole Setting and Cooking Times: HIGH for one hour, then LOW for 5-6 hours Serves 6 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, or 1/2 c olive oil 2 large yellow onions, minced 4 ribs celery, chopped 1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped; or 1 large carrot, chopped 1 small loaf French bread, cut into small cubes One 7-oz package seasoned stuffing mix, or 2 c crumbled day-old cornbread 1/2 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 1/2 tsp. dried sage 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp dried marjoram 1 tsp salt A few grinds of black or white pepper 1 large egg (optional), beaten 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c turkey or chicken broth, as needed 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces In a large skillet, heat the butter until melted over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Put the bread and stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the parsley, dried herbs, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Pour the sauteed vegetables over the bread cubes and mix together. Add the egg and enough of the broth, stirring, until the ingredients are evenly moistened. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Coat the slow cooker with butter, olive oil, or nonstick cooking spray. Pack the stuffing lightly into the cooker. Dot with the butter pieces and sprinkle with a few more tablespoons of chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to LOW and cook until puffy and nicely borwn around the edges, 4-5 hours. The dressing can sit in the cooker, covered, on KEEP WARM for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve hot right out of the crockpot. (from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)

I also make my traditional favorites that have passed on over the years but also add some new trials. I've been making a wild rice, wild mushroom with both cornbread, (a homemade basic but left to dry out a day, or a week before and freeze)) and toasted boule 'croutons' and cubed boule. No eggs. The toasted bread adds flavor without the density. So i make two dressings using some of the ingredients from the original but make one with homemade veg stock and one with chicken stock and lamb sausage. (one vegetarian). Most of my bread comes from the freezer using ends and half loafs from earlier baking. Also remember to toss all together just before baking. Even if prepped ahead. We chop and prep ahead but keep the moist elements separate...even in zip-locks like a kit. The day before i'll have all the sauted veg like the celery onion parsley in a bowl, and top that with all the zip-locked bread, etc. Toss together easily just before baking. All our chopping happens the day or even 2 days before and some sautéing. As well as toasted nuts, Salads dressings, all the mixed roots and veg for roasting tossed in a bit of olive oil...separate bags based on cooking time....never roasted ahead but ready to go....

People don't stuff turkeys because it means over cooking the turkey to get the dressing to the safe temperature. I used to stuff the neck but not the interior. It gave me dressing with juices for the day and the rest went into a casserole for later. this was personal Thanksgiving when we had family thanksgiving elsewhere. When relatives made gravy by taking the bag of what ever that is out of the cavity of a butterball turkey and mixed it with a cup of flour and shook it up and then boiled it I thought, we are going to need our own meal later. These days I smoke a breast so no stuffing that way. I take the back and other oddments and make broth and use that in my gravy and dressing. As per the OP, we like our dressing soft-I make cornbread dressing. Sounds clever though for regular bread dressing.