Lancaster County Bread Filling Recipes

NANA'S PA DUTCH POTATO AND BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Place in large bowl and mash with 4 tbsp butter, milk and chicken stock.
• While potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet over med-high heat, melt 3/4 cup butter; add chopped celery, onion, and parsley; sautee until tender -- about 7-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add the toasted bread cubes. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 4-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and fold into the mashed potato mixture. Fold in the beaten eggs and stir everything together well.
• Pour into a greased/sprayed 13" x 9" (or larger) pan. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until lightly browning on top.
• Serve.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO FILLING RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut bread slices into small cubes and let sit out to dry overnight. Or toast them in the oven until lightly browned.
• Peel, cut, and boil potatoes in water until soft. Drain the water and mash with a mixer until smooth.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter and continue cooking until lightly browned. (It will be caramel in color and have a wonderful nutty aroma.)
• Finely chop the onion and celery (I use my Ninja chopper). Add them to the browned butter and cook for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Add the beaten eggs, milk, and seasonings to the slightly cooled butter mixture.
• Add the egg/butter mixture to the mashed potatoes. Mix well. Then stir in the bread cubes.
• Grease a casserole dish with butter and fill it with the potato filling. You can bake this immediately or cool and refrigerate for the next day.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
• Drizzle with additional brown butter, or serve with gravy.

LANCASTER COUNTY BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Heat the saffron in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the milk until its color is released (do not boil).
• Saute the chopped onion and celery in melted butter over low heat until soft.
• Add all the milk and saffron to the beaten egg and pour it over the bread.
• When the celery and onion are soft, mix all ingredients together.
• Bake in an uncovered buttered casserole at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until it forms a crust.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO AND BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Boil potatoes in salted water. Saute onion and celery in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil the giblets and neck in salted water to make stock.
• Moisten bread with milk. Smash the potatoes in a large bowl. (I use a small roasting pan, and then I roast the filling right in it.) Add all other ingredients including all spices and oil from saute. When adding the eggs, add a little of the hot mixture to the eggs first and beat well, so as to not scramble them when they go into the whole mix.
• Mix thoroughly. If it needs more moisture, add the stock, a little at a time. Taste to make sure enough spices are added. Add more salt and pepper and poultry seasoning, if needed.
• Bake at 350 degrees in a greased casserole dish or roasting pan until very hot and browned, usually one hour. Dot the top with pats of butter before putting into oven. I know some people chop the giblets and add to the filling, but I don't.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• Place the potato cubes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
• Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onions and celery until they are reduced and browned, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 glass baking dishes, each 9x13 inches.
• Place another 1/2 cup of butter into the work bowl of a stand mixer, and add the cooked potatoes. Start the mixer on Low setting. While mixer is running, pour in 1 cup of milk, and add 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt and 4 slices of torn bread. Mix those ingredients briefly into the mixture, and pour in 1/2 cup of milk and 4 more bread slices. Mix that addition, and then mix in 2 more bread slices.
• After the last 2 bread slices have been roughly incorporated, place another 1/2 cup of butter, 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt, all the onions, celery, and butter from the skillet, and 4 more slices of bread into the mixer bowl. Mix to incorporate, and finally mix in 2 to 4 additional torn bread slices. Allow the mixer to run until the dressing is the desired consistency.
• Place half the dressing into each prepared baking dish, and top the dressing with the remaining 1/2 cup of butter, cut into thin slices and scattered over the top. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt evenly over the top of the dishes. Cover the dishes with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the dressing is browned, about 1 hour.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Boil potatoes in salted water for 1 hour or until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, add onions, and saute until just soft, add bread crumbs and stir over heat until lightly toasted. Melt remaining butter separately, and set aside.
• 2. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl and add torn bread, onions and remaining ingredients. Whip together with a hand mixer on medium speed until mixture is almost smooth. Mixture should be a fluffy, mashed potato consistency, just a little bit more dense and rich. Transfer potato mixture to a glass 8x8" square baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 Tablespoons butter over filling.
• 3. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until filling has formed a light crust. Serve.