This dishis a wildly personal one. Some Thanksgiving dressing recipesare light and airy, and can almost be tossed around with a spoon. Other dressings bake up firm and solid, and can almost be cut into uniform squares. Some people stuff their roasted turkeywith dressing, in which case thedressing is called stuffing. Others are dead set against stuffing the bird and opt for baking their stuffing in a baking dish, which means it's called dressing. Some do a combination of both. Some dressing is basic: a combination of dried bread, aromatics, and dried herbs. Other loaded versions can contain oysters, mushrooms, and even dried fruit and nuts.
I grew up loving my mom's dressing. She never stuffed the bird, and her dressing fell into the slightly firm/very flavorful category. To serve it, we scooped out helpings with a spoon and for the most part, the stuffing stayed together in one hom*ogenized piece. I still love it today.
A few years ago, however, I tried my mother-in-law's dressing for the first time and everything became clear and beautiful. The larger chunks of dried bread break apart to some degree when mixing the dish together, but large chunks remain throughout—and that's what I love about this dressing. It isn't soggy at all; even after baking, it remains light and crumbly and beautifully textural. A real feast for the senses! This is just about my favorite Thanksgiving side and one that I make every single year! Put it on your Thanksgiving dinner menu. You'll thank yourself later!
Should you stuff your turkey with dressing or not?
I'm a big fan of baking Thanksgiving dressing separately in a casserole dish. It's less complicated, and produces a better textured dressing.When you stuff it inside the cavity of a turkey, the dressing tends to steam, which makes it more mushy.I love a crunchy topping on my dressing, and you just don't get it when it bakes inside the turkey!You also run the risk of the turkey and dressing not cooking at the same rate when you stuff the bird, which is an invitation for bacteria, and other bad things that you definitely don't want at your Thanksgiving dinner. So, I play it safe and cook the two separately.
What is Thanksgiving dressing made of?
This version keeps it basic with bread (three types...more on that below), onion, celery, fresh parsley, and some dried herbs. There's also butter and lots ofchicken stock to moisten the dressing and, in turn, help it hold together.
Should Thanksgiving dressing be soft or crispy?
It should be both! This dressing gets golden and crispy on topwhile the middle cooks up softeras the bread continues to absorb the broth. This version isn'tsoggy though—the big chunks of bread keep it from getting that way.
What kind of bread is best for Thanksgiving dressing?
The magic happens when you combine a few different types of bread. I like using cornbread because, to me, that's what dressing is all about. But Ialso add hunks of crusty Italian bread (like ciabatta) and French bread. It gives the dressing texture and dimension.The most important part is to dry the bread fordressing. Otherwise, the dressing will be too soupy and mushy. Iusually cube the bread and let it sit out a day or two to dry out.
Is Thanksgivingdressing better with or without eggs?
It's all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. Idon't use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.
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- Yields:
- 18 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 1 day
- Cook Time:
- 45 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 day 45 mins
Ingredients
- 1
loaf cornbread
- 1
loaf Italian bread, such as ciabatta
- 1
loaf French bread
- 1/2 c.
butter
- 1
large onion or 2 medium onions, diced
- 5
stalks celery, diced
- 6 c.
low-sodium chicken broth, plusmore if needed for moisture
- 1/2
bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp.
fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp.
dried basil
- 1/2 tsp.
ground thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Step1Cut all the bread into 1-inch cubes and lay them out on sheet pans. Cover with a dish towel and let them dry outuntil they're dry and crisp, 24 to48 hours.
- Step2In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and cook for 3 to4 minutes. Add the broth, parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir.
- Step3Put all the bread cubes in a large bowl and slowly ladle in the broth mixture, tossing as you go until the dressing has the moisture level you want. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.
- Step4Pour the dressing into a large casserole pan and/or stuff it intothe turkey cavity. Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes at 375°F until golden and crisp on top. Serve piping hot with a turkey and gravy!
(Note: For the original/ancient 2007 version of this post, click here! The basic recipe is the same, save for a few minor alterations.)
A day or two before Thanksgiving, make the cornbread!
Here's the recipe I use. It's dee best: Skillet Cornbread.
Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes.
Do the same with some crusty/chewy Italian bread (this is Ciabatta)…
And do the same with some good ol’ Americanized “French” bread.
Now, just lay all the bread on trays and let them dry out over the next day or two. The bread needs to be dry, dry, dry…dry!
On Thanksgiving day, when you’re ready to make the dressing, chop up some onion…
Some celery…
(Leaves and all!).
You also need a good amount of chopped parsley…
And some minced rosemary.
Grab the largest skillet you have and melt a whole doggone stick of butter.
Add the onions and celery…
And cook them for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
When the veggies are starting to soften, pour in a whole bunch of chicken broth.
Let this bubble up…
Then add the rosemary…
Dried basil, ground thyme, salt, and pepper…
And parsley. Let this cook for another couple of minutes or so to make sure the flavors merge and melt and come together and get married and have babies and all that jazz.
Pile all the dried bread into a huge bowl…
Then, using a ladle…
Spoon the broth mixture over the top. Keep adding the broth mixture, tossing as you go, until it’s all mixed in. Now, how much broth mixture you add depends on how moist you like the dressing! If you like dressing to be a little drier, just add about 2/3 of the broth—if you like it really moist and wet/mushy, go ahead and add it all!
Once you’ve got the moisture right, give it a taste and add a little more salt, pepper, or whatever else you think it needs.
Pile it into a huge casserole pan, or you can put part of in a pan and part of it in the turkey, or you can put the whole dang batch in the turkey! Well, as much as will fit.
Then just bake it at 375 for about 20-30 minutes! It’ll be golden and slightly crisp on top, then nice and moist and lovely underneath.
Delicious!
Here are some variations:
* Add 3 peeled, finely diced carrots to the skillet with the onions and celery.
* Add 1/2 teaspoon ground sage with the other herbs.
* Add 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric to add a slight golden color to the dressing.
* Add chopped cooked bacon to the bowl with the bread chunks and herb/broth mixture.