Mom Snyders Bread Filling Recipes

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.

MOM SNYDER'S BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Tear bread into bite sized pieces.
• Slice bacon into small bite size pieces about 1/2-inch wide (Tip: partially freezing bacon makes cutting easier, or you can fry bacon and rip into small pieces after it cools).
• Cook bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon and add to bread. Reserve bacon fat and return pan to stove.
• Add celery to pan-sauté until no longer firm (you may cover pan to speed up cooking time-just check routinely). Add onions and cook until tender (you may do celery and onion separate if you're afraid you may overcook celery).
• Add salt, pepper, and onion & garlic powders to celery to taste (go easy on salt--just because other ingredients already contain salt).
• Add celery/onions to bread/bacon.
• Add mashed potatoes (2-3 cups--I think I use about three, but it may be two--I just "scoop" potatoes into mix. (Tip-if using fresh and still hot wait until they cool to add egg to mix).
• Add three cans condensed chicken and star or chicken noodle soup (Note: if using chicken noodle, you'll want to break up noodle fine while mixing by hand)--just soup as is--NO WATER.
• Add three eggs.
• Okay-here's the part not for the squeamish: MIX BY HAND--(yep-get your hands in and squish all the ingredients together--it's not an attractive looking mix, unbut wait til ya bake it--).
• Place in a greased (I use butter or margarine) 9x13-inch baking pan about an inch and a half thick. Press mix into pan--you may have more than pan--I get about a 9x13 and a pie pan's worth. Do not make too thick--this increases cooking time and doesn't seem to taste as good.
• Bake at 350°F for about 30-45 minutes. Time depends on how fast your oven actually cooks. I don't really look at the clock so much as the browning of the filling. You want a golden brown top (GOLDEN!). Just check for doneness if you layered thickly in pan.
• Remove from oven when golden brown and cooked through (Note: glass dishes cook faster and brown bottom-aluminum will not brown bottom. Your filling may be done faster if you use Pyrex).
• Set pan on cooling rack. Let pan sit and slightly cool before cutting into servings (if filling cools completely before you actually serve, just reheat in microwave first).
• You may bake this a day in advance an reheat (my hubby and I even snack on it cold).

THE BEST STUFFING RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange it onto a baking sheet. Allow the bread to dry out for 3-12 hours.
• Grease an 8x8 or 2-quart baking dish with butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt 1/4 cup (or 1/2 stick) butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet, over medium-low heat.
• Add onions, celery, and fresh thyme leaves to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute veggies until softened slightly, about 7 minutes.
• Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add in the sauteed veggies and another pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well.
• Add in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, and toss until bread cubes are moistened completely. You want the bread to be wet and softened, but not drenched in liquid or soggy. You may not use all the liquid.
• Pour the prepared stuffing into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden.

HOMEMADE BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until; saute onion and celery in hot butter until onion is soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Put bread cubes in a large bowl. Season bread with salt, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Add onion mixture to bread cubes; stir. Pour bread mixture into a large casserole dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and hot, about 1 hour.

MOTHER'S BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add butter, eggs, nuts, and mashed banana. Beat until well blended.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.