Readers’ Stuffing Recipes

Texas Corn Bread Dressing

Active Work Time: 1 hour * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours

From Carol George de Mauregne, Valley Glen. Sourdough bagels work best for the dried bread, but you can use toast, buns and croutons, too. The corn bread recipe is from “Lee Bailey’s The Way I Cook It.”

SKILLET CORN BREAD

2 cups cornmeal

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon sugar, optional

8 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup safflower oil or bacon drippings

2 eggs

3 cups milk

* Place 2 large cast-iron skillets in 400-degree oven.

* Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl. Mix oil, eggs and milk, then stir into dry ingredients. Add a bit more milk if batter is stiff.

* Remove skillets from oven. Grease quickly with oil or bacon fat and divide batter between skillets. Smooth with spatula if necessary. Bake until golden brown, 20 minutes.

DRESSING

Skillet Corn Bread

2 1/2 cups cubed day-old bread

2 cups sliced celery

1 large bunch green onions, including tops, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

3 cups hot chicken or turkey stock

Salt, pepper

Cayenne pepper

2 eggs, beaten

* Break up corn bread and bread into pieces not bigger than a teaspoon and place in large mixing bowl.

* Cook celery, green onions, onion, parsley and garlic in butter over medium heat until softened. Add to cornbread mixture. Add thyme, sage and rosemary and mix well. Add stock, a bit at a time, mixing, until bread is well moistened. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix in eggs.

* Stuff in turkey or bake uncovered in greased 13x9-inch baking dish at 375 degrees 50 to 60 minutes.

14 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 182 calories; 474 mg sodium; 44 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.52 grams fiber.

Ginny’s Holiday Stuffing

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours

There’s a pleasant surprise of lemon zest in this colorful apple-cranberry-sausage stuffing. Another surprise: It’s quite easy. Virginia Hambro, of Camarillo, says this will stuff a 20-pound turkey, but it also goes well with pork, roasts or chops.

1 pound breakfast sausage

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

2 (14-ounce) packages prepared stuffing mix

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 cup diced red apple

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

Salt, pepper

* Break sausage into small pieces and brown in skillet over medium heat. Drain fat and set sausage pieces aside.

* Melt butter in deep pan over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook lightly. Remove from heat and place in large mixing bowl. Add stuffing mix, chicken broth and water and mix well. Stir in sausage, apple, cranberries, zest, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.

* Stuff in turkey or bake at 375 degrees in 13x9-inch baking dish covered with buttered foil, 1 hour. Remove foil and continue baking another 15 minutes.

17 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 203 calories; 498 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.93 grams fiber.

Challah Stuffing

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

A solid basic stuffing idea enriched by the use of egg bread. From Sarah Knetzer, Redondo Beach.

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

1 tablespoon fresh minced sage

Salt, pepper

10 cups cubed day-old challah

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

* Cook onion and celery in margarine over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add sage and salt and pepper to taste.

* Add onion mixture to bread cubes and gently mix. Sprinkle with enough broth or water to moisten bread. Stir and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

* Spread stuffing in 13x9-inch baking pan and cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until stuffing is browned and slightly crisp on top.

10 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 124 calories; 233 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.82 gram fiber.

Perfect Stuffing

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Full of apples, cranberries, water chestnuts, prunes, pecans and herbs, this lush and colorful stuffing was our tasters’ favorite. It would also be good with pork and duck. From Sandra Gill, Long Beach, who likes to use Mrs. Cubbison’s Dressing.

1/2 pound sausage, crumbled

2 onions, minced

2 cups finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely minced fresh sage

1/4 cup finely minced fresh thyme

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 (6-ounce) bags herb stuffing mix

2 green apples, diced

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and diced

1 cup pecan pieces

2 cups prunes, cut into quarters

2 teaspoons salt

Pepper

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups chicken broth

* Brown sausage, onions, celery, sage and thyme in butter over medium heat.

* Place stuffing mix in large bowl and add sausage mixture, apples, cranberries, water chestnuts, pecan pieces, prunes, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add eggs, then broth, a little at a time, mixing constantly until bread is moistened.

* Stuff in turkey or bake at 375 degrees in 13x9-inch baking dish tightly covered with foil, 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.

16 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 206 calories; 524 mg sodium; 44 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 2.88 gram fiber.

Mushroom-Nut Stuffing

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

From Rose C. Gernon, Glendora. In this recipe, Gernon prefers Pepperidge Farm Cubed Herb Seasoned Stuffing.

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery, with leaves

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup chicken broth

4 cups herb stuffing cubes

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 to 1 cup pecans

* Cook onion, celery, parsley, hot sauce and salt in butter until tender. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more.

* Pour chicken broth over stuffing cubes. Add onion mixture. Toss lightly. Add wine and nuts, tossing until nuts are mixed throughout.

* Stuff in turkey or bake at 350 degrees in 9-inch square dish tightly covered with foil 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 15 minutes.

5 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 223 calories; 886 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 2.87 grams fiber.

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Active Work Time: 1 1/2 hours * Total Preparation Time: 2 1/2 hours plus 8 hours chilling

This is a time-consuming recipe--it should be started a day or even two days in advance--but the flavor of the homemade sausage, strongly dosed with Cognac, is worth the trouble. From Janet Burgess, San Diego.

SAUSAGE

1 1/4 pounds lean pork tenderloin, cut into cubes

10 ounces fresh pork fat

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup Cognac

* Grind together pork and pork fat in meat grinder twice. Place in large bowl with salt, thyme, sage, nutmeg, pepper, allspice and Cognac. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

ASSEMBLY

14 cups cubed day-old bread, crusts removed

Sausage

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 cups diced green apples

1 1/2 cups diced onion

1 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper

* Toast bread cubes in 300-degree oven until lightly browned and dry, 30 to 45 minutes.

* Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Break up into small bits and drain off excess fat. Add cooked sausage to toasted bread cubes.

* Melt butter in skillet and add apples, onion and celery, and cook until soft. Stir in parsley. Add to bread and toss gently. Add sage, thyme leaves and chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely.

* Stuff in turkey or place in 13x9-inch greased baking dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake at 375 degrees 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

17 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 174 calories; 337 mg sodium; 22 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.35 grams fiber.

Chicken Liver Stuffing

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Everybody liked the earthy flavors of liver and mushrooms in this easy stuffing. From Angie Stoll, Anaheim Hills.

1 (1-pound) loaf day-old white bread, cut in cubes

4 cups water

1/2 pound chicken livers

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 tablespoon salt

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 1/2 cups chopped celery leaves

2 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 minced clove garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

* Soak bread in water.

* Cook chicken livers in butter over medium heat, mashing livers while cooking. Add salt, onion, parsley, celery leaves and mushrooms and continue cooking until chicken livers are cooked and no longer pink and onion is soft. Add garlic powder, oregano and basil.

* Squeeze water from wet bread and place bread in large bowl. Add egg and sage and mix well. Add cooked liver mixture.

* Turn into greased 13x9-inch baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake at 375 degrees 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.

9 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 159 calories; 618 mg sodium; 69 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.63 grams fiber.

Mama Ruggirello’s Stuffing

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 10 minutes plus 8 hours chilling

An easy, colorful stuffing distinctively flavored with salami, spinach and pine nuts. It would also be good with chicken. From Paula Ruggirello, Canoga Park.

1 onion, minced

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 pound salami, diced

2 (6-ounce) bags stuffing mix

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, cooked

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

* Cook onion in oil until lightly browned. Chop salami into small bits and add to onion.

* Place stuffing mix in large bowl and add onion mixture, cooked spinach and pine nuts. Add broth a bit at a time until stuffing is moistened. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.

* Stuff in turkey or bake at 350 degrees in 13x9-inch baking dish, tightly covered with foil, 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 15 minutes.

9 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving: 174 calories; 494 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 2.40 grams fiber.