The Right Stuff For Stuffing

No matter what you call it, stuffing or dressing, Thanksgiving is not complete without it.

On The Early Show, Tori Ritchie offered general tips for successful stuffing, including which bread to use, how much liquid to use, etc. If you like to use prepackaged stuffing mix, she has some advice for that, too.

Finally, if you have a family stuffing recipe that you would like to jazz up a bit, Ritchie advises adding fruit, and she told us which fruits work best.

The terms "stuffing" and "dressing" are used interchangeably, but stuffing is often cooked inside the bird while dressing is baked on the side.

For the record, Ritchie does not recommend cooking stuffing inside the turkey.

"You have to roast the turkey for so long to ensure the stuffing is safely baked through that the bird often dries out," she explained. "An unstuffed bird will roast more evenly and quickly, thus being juicier and moister."

People tend to be fiercely loyal to their family stuffing recipes, but all stuffings share the same components.

BREAD
White bread and corn bread are fairly traditional options. For a change, try focaccia bread in your stuffing. Our Sausage, Fennel and Chestnut Dressing calls for focaccia.

Of course, bread for stuffing needs to be dry or stale. You can either leave your bread out on a baking sheet overnight to air-dry, or you can place it in an oven set to a low temperature.

Important: If using cornbread, do not put it in the oven. Plan ahead and let it air-dry. Because cornbread contains sugar, it tends to brown in the oven and will not look right in your dressing recipe.

Buying packaged stuffing mix is also an option. Be sure to buy plain stuffing, not flavored, as you will be adding your own spices.

AROMATICS
Onion, celery, even carrots are fairly standard in most recipes. If you're looking for a change, try adding fennel.

LIQUID
The biggest mistake people commit when preparing stuffing is making it too dry. If using store-bought stuffing mix in your recipe, you'll need to add more liquid than the recipe calls for. This is really important. And you want to get the correct amount of moisture in the stuffing before you put it in the oven.

FLAVOR VARIATIONS
If you want to try something new this year, add fruit to your stuffing recipe. Fresh fruit like apples, pears, Fuyu persimmons and Asian pears work well. Dried cranberries, cherries or apricots are also nice. If using dried fruit, you need to soak the fruit in water first before adding to the stuffing.

BAKING THE STUFFING
It typically takes about an hour to cook stuffing. You want to bake until it's crispy on top. If you feel that the dressing is getting too brown, cover it with foil during the last 15 minutes in the oven.

RECIPES

CHESTNUT AND CRANBERRY DRESSING
Serves 10 to 12

Cranberries needn't be relegated only to the relish that accompanies the Thanksgiving feast. Here, tangy dried cranberries are combined with a traditional chestnut dressing that is also delicious served alongside roast pork.

Ingredients:
3 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 cup dried cranberries
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-lb. loaf country-style bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, toasted
2 cups prepared French chestnuts, halved
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 2 1/4 to 3-quart baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the stock until steam starts to rise, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the dried cranberries. Set aside.
3. In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
4. In the same pan, sauté the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the bowl with the vegetables.
5. In a large bowl, stir the egg while slowly pouring in the stock and cranberries. Add the bread and toss until well blended. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the vegetable-sausage mixture, the chestnuts, sage, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir to mix. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the dressing is browned and crispy, 45 to 50 minutes.

CORN BREAD-APRICOT DRESSING WITH ROSEMARY
Serves 12

Whether you call the starch dish dressing or stuffing depends on what part of the United States you are from. People who hail from the East and South are more likely to call it dressing. Whatever term you use, the dish is a favorite on Thanksgiving tables from coast to coast.

Ingredients
1 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup water
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp. minced fresh sage
8 cups crumbled dried corn bread
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups turkey or chicken stock, warmed

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a large, shallow baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the apricots and water and bring just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the apricots stand until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter is hot, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and sage and sauté, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the apricots and their liquid, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has nearly evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the corn bread, the onion mixture, the parsley, salt and pepper and stir gently to mix. Add the warmed stock and stir to blend. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and bake until the top is browned and crispy, about 1 1/4 hours.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

PEAR, CHESTNUT AND SAGE DRESSING
Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients:
1-pound loaf rustic country bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 Bosc pear, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup peeled and chopped steamed or roasted chestnuts
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh sage
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
4 cups chicken or turkey stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

1. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and let dry overnight.
   
2. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a large, shallow baking dish.
3. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. In the same pan, melt the 1 Tbs. butter and add the onion, carrot, celery and pear. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the sausage. Add the chestnuts, parsley, sage, melted butter, stock, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Add the bread and stir to mix well.
5. Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and bake until golden and crispy, about 1 hour.

Wheatleigh, Lenox, Massachusetts

SAUSAGE, CHESTNUT AND FENNEL DRESSING
Serves 10 to 12)
1 box (16 oz.) focaccia stuffing
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups prepared French chestnuts, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/4 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
6 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 to 3 1/4 cups chicken stock, warmed, plus more as needed

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 3 1/2- to 4-quart casserole dish.
2. Put the focaccia stuffing in a large bowl. Set aside.
   
3. In a large (5- to 7-quart) sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery and fennel and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the chestnuts and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onion mixture to the bowl with the focaccia stuffing.
5. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with the focaccia stuffing. Add the parsley to the bowl and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups of the stock. The dressing should be moist but not soggy. Add more stock if needed and season with salt and pepper.
   
7. Transfer the dressing to the prepared casserole dish, cover with a piece of buttered aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes more.