Country Harvest Stuffing Recipes

EASY SAUSAGE & HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Place the stuffing cubes in a large mixing bowl.
• In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the vegetables to the stuffing cubes. (Don't wash the pan but scrape out every last bit of vegetables, otherwise they will burn in the next step.)
• In the same pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a metal spatula while cooking (the largest pieces should be no greater than ¼-inch). Add the browned sausage and fat to the bread cubes and vegetables.
• Add the chicken broth, egg, rosemary, sage, parsley, salt and pepper to the bread cube mixture and mix until the bread is soft and moistened. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 65-75 minutes, uncovered, until deeply golden and crisp on top.
• Note: If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy regular sausage and remove the casings.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stuffing can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake; follow the baking instructions in the recipe. It can also can be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. When you're ready to serve it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.

COUNTRY BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Cut the bread into large cubes and spread them onto a baking sheet. Leave them uncovered overnight to get stale.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
• Put a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When it is melted, add the mushrooms, celery and onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until all the vegetables have softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the bread, cooked vegetables and water chestnuts. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the broth, parsley, soy sauce and citrus juices. Fold into the bread mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the mixture seems too dry, add more broth or a little water. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Can be covered and refrigerated overnight until you are ready to bake. Let it come to room temperature first.
• Cover the pan with foil and put it into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and cook until the top is browned, about another 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Reserve 1 cup for another use if desired, such as the Round 2 Recipe Thanksgiving Pie.

COUNTRY HARVEST STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Spread the bread cubes on two baking sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly toasted, shaking pans occasionally. Return to the bowl.
• 2. Brown the sausage in a heavy pan over medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to the bowl, discarding any fat. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pan and sauté the onions, celery, garlic, and sage over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until wilted, stirring often. Combine with the bread cubes, cranberries, pecans, and prunes.
• 3. Drizzle the broth over the mixture to moisten as desired, then toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, in an oven-to-table dish at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve from the dish.

OLD FASHIONED STUFFING

Steps:

• Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until hard.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Crush the bread into crumbs with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a large bowl.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.
• Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread crumbs. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Use water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
• Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

AUTUMN HARVEST STUFFING

Steps:

• Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature overnight. (Alternatively, bake bread in a 250-degree oven until dry but not browned, 25 to 30 minutes.)
• Transfer bread to a large bowl. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, toss squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil until coated; season with salt and pepper. Arrange squash in an even layer on a baking sheet; transfer to oven and roast until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer squash to bowl with bread cubes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots, celery, and leek. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Fold in mustard greens and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with bread and squash.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread and vegetables.
• Heat chicken broth in a small saucepan with butter and over medium-low heat until butter is melted; pour over bread mixture. Add sage, parsley, and thyme to bread mixture; season with salt and pepper; mix until well combined. Let stuffing mixture cool completely if stuffing in turkey.
• To cook stuffing in a turkey: Loosely stuff into a turkey, and roast until center of stuffing registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. To bake all of the stuffing outside a turkey: Spoon into a buttered 2-quart baking dish. Cover dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes more.

HARVEST STUFFING

Steps:

• Brown the sausage in a pan, breaking up clumps; remove to a large bowl. Add the oil to the pan; stir in the onions, celery, garlic, thyme, and sage and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add to the sausage along with the bread, apples and dried fruits. Toss well. Drizzle the broth over the mixture to moisten as desired and season with salt and pepper. Cool before stuffing the turkey.