There are so many differing thoughts and opinions when it comes to stuffing. Is it better to cook it inside or outside of the turkey? And is it even called stuffing?
My family calls it stuffing, though, technically, it’s called dressing when cooked and served outside of the turkey. And I’ve always cooked it separately from the turkey because it saves me loads of time and it’s easier — and safer — to cook the turkey without having to stuff it. Plus, I get to serve the stuffing on my beautiful Arthur Court Casserole Holder, which makes a stunning display on the dinner table.
Preparing this artichoke turkey stuffing a day ahead and cooking separately from the turkey has served me well over the years, especially as I often cook a full Thanksgiving meal for thirty or more family and friends. I love cooking for this holiday, though, over time, I’ve learned an important lesson that my family reminds me of all too often: do not start drinking wine until dinner is ready! Why? Well…
One year, after everyone sat down and began serving themselves, I noticed my brother lean over and whisper in my sister-in-law’s ear. When she shrugged him off, he leaned in the other direction and whispered in my husband’s ear. My bewildered husband then belted out across the table, “What, no stuffing for our turkey?” Ugh! Wine got the best of me, and I forgot to take the stuffing out of the fridge and put it in the oven. No stuffing that year!
Another time, I started sipping on my wine and got a little too festive. I made a delicious dinner that everyone appreciated. The next day, however, when I went to heat the leftovers, I opened the oven door to find a couple of fixings still covered and waiting. Seems I forgot to put everything on the table that year! Oops!
There are more memories like these, all with one thing in common: everyone had a joyous time while enjoying a tasty meal on Thanksgiving Day. So, with that I say, if you want to stuff your turkey with this stuffing, go ahead. If you want to prepare and cook separately, more power to you. And, most importantly, if you want a glass of wine while cooking, enjoy it to the last drop!
From my kitchen to yours, wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.
Gobble gobble!
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Worry-Free Cooking |
- Use a saucepan to make the turkey broth. The T-fal Signature Nonstick Saucepan or an Enameled Cast Iron Saucepan are two fantastic options. I use the latter, which never sticks and cleans easily.
- If you’ve been following me on this journey, you know by now the Classic Cajun Cookware is my favorite go-to. It’s perfect for making this dish because the size makes it easy to prepare everything in the one pot.
- Depending on the size of your cooking pot, you may need to transfer the cooked mixture into a larger 8-quart Mixing Bowl before adding the breadcrumbs.
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Menu Planning |
- This stuffing is perfect to make a day ahead of time. Prepare the stuffing as directed and transfer it to a casserole dish. Cover the unbaked stuffing tightly and refrigerate for up to one day. When you’re ready, uncover and place the casserole dish in a preheated oven at 350° F for 45 minutes or until hot.
- Store any leftover stuffing in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat, place the desired amount on a microwave safe plate and microwave until heated. You can also reheat it in the casserole dish, uncovered in a preheated 300° F oven until warm.
- You can also freeze any leftover stuffing for up to two months. Be sure to store in an air-tight bag or container. When ready to eat, place frozen stuffing in the refrigerator to defrost slowly overnight to prevent sogginess. Once thawed, warm in the microwave or oven.
- This stuffing tastes just as amazing with other meats. Use leftovers — or a fresh batch — to make stuff pork loin. Amazingly good!
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Drink Pairings |
- There’s nothing better than a good bottle of wine served alongside a traditional Thanksgiving meal. And there are so many options to choose from for your robust turkey dinner. Light, fruity, and low tannin options are my go-to picks because they partner well with the variety of foods typically found on the table. For Red Wines, the complementing flavors of pinot noir, Syrah, or Zinfandel are good choices. For die-hard white wine lovers, you can’t go wrong with Rieslings or Sauvignon Blancs.
- Beer lovers rejoice because you can’t go wrong when serving a cold one in a proper Beer Glass. There are so many craft beers that you can choose from, including pumpkin, pecan, spice, and other infused seasonal flavors. Pick a beer that won’t overpower the Thanksgiving food flavors or is lighter so that you won’t get that full feeling — you need to save room for that turkey, right!?
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Helping Hand |
- Using broth made from turkey giblets gives this stuffing a rich turkey flavor. After making the broth, I remove as much of the meat as possible from the neck and chop up all the meat and toss it into the stuffing for even more added flavor. If you don’t have time or are not a fan of using giblets, skip that step and use all chicken broth instead.
- For a little added protein, you can easily add a pound of Italian sausage to this dish. Simply add the ground sausage (remove the casing if using links) to the pot after cooking the onions. Then follow the remaining steps in the recipe.
- If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, dried parsley works just as well. Use about two to three tablespoons of dried parsley instead.
- When it comes to celery, most recipes call for use of the ribs only. That’s hogwash. The leaves on the celery are delicious and packed with intense celery flavors, which is exactly what you want in this stuffing. Be sure to chop up the leaves and include with your celery.
- For a twist and more traditional flavors, skip the boxed stuffing mix and make your own. Cut a loaf of bread (preferably a pound of sour dough bread) into one-inch cubes. Place the cubes on ungreased baking pans and bake at 350° F for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, let cool, and use in place of the stuffing mix in this recipe. A little more work that’s well worth it.
- Prefer to stuff the turkey? No problem. Instead of cooking in the casserole dish, you can loosely stuff the stuffing into a turkey and bake the turkey, as directed. A turkey usually takes 20 minutes per pound to cook, which is more than enough time to bake in all the goodness in the stuffing. Place any leftover stuffing in a baking dish and cook alongside the bird — now you have the best of both worlds!
- For moister stuffing, increase broth to 2½ cups. For crispier stuffing, bake prepared stuffing uncovered. Or, if you like crispy edges, remove the cover during the last 10 minutes of baking. So good!
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Grocery & Gourmet |
- You’ll always find a jar of this Minced Garlic in my fridge. While fresh is always best, I don’t have it on hand all the time and this gem is the next best thing.
- Any brand of stuffing mix will do; however, I always turn to Pepperidge Farm Classic Stuffing Mix. Not only is it easy to work with, the seasonings and overall quality are the perfect complement for dishes such as this one.
