How much stuffing should i make

Stuff turkey just before roasting it. Don't pack stuffing tightly; it expands as it cooks. Use a thermometer to ensure that the stuffing reaches degrees F; remove as soon as turkey comes out of oven. Bake any extra stuffing in a covered buttered baking dish at degrees until heated through and top is golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

Once you're familiar with this formula, try something new. Start with the same bread or cornbread base but mix it up with your choice of complementary flavors, such as citrus rind and fruit juice, or those that contrast, like pecans and dried cherries. Either way, you'll end up with a stellar stuffing. Use a variety of colors and textures, too. For best results, include plenty of vegetables, herbs, and spices in your stuffing.

The vegetables add nuance to the flavor of stuffing and can change its texture, depending on how they are cut and whether they are cooked before being added.

Fennel gives a note of sweet anise; mushrooms yield an earthy flavor and a meaty texture. As you season with herbs and spices, taste frequently and adjust accordingly to get a result you like. Used sparingly, dry mustard and cinnamon are good choices. Cayenne pepper and cumin add heat, whereas paprika and turmeric provide color. It might sound out of the box but fresh or dried fruits are great additions to a stuffing. Think fresh apples, pears, or oranges or dried apricots, cranberries, or raisins.

Reconstituted dried mushrooms, pine nuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts add heft. Parmigiano-Reggiano imparts not only richness but bite. The most important ingredient of stuffing may be the binder, for it keeps all the other elements in place.

For a fluffy texture, use eggs. This extra stuffing can be made in a casserole dish in the oven. You can also use a crock pot crock pot stuffing is really delicious slow cooker or at a pinch wrap it in a baking sheet of aluminum foil and put it in the oven and bake at roasting temperature.

So if you want to increase the stuffing per person because you think your large group is extra hungry I would use a ratio of 1 cup of stuffing per person for hungry people. The great thing about it is that leftover stuffing if wrapped in an airtight container can be kept in the fridge for days or frozen for 3 months.

If it is still left over — cooking it with crisp french bread and cheese makes a great breakfast casserole of stuffing. You can add more flavor to your stuffing by adding items like sausage, mushrooms, and celery. Surprisingly, oatmeal can also be a great addition!

Here is what I do when I do not have enough stuffing to go around. I take the recipe beyond the basic, classic recipe that often will include croutons or bread cubes, some onion, diced celery, chicken seasoning, salt, butter, and chicken stock.

You can then and make it into a round roll of stuffing delight or add a southern cornbread dressing to the mix for that extra flavor that will wow my big group. With stuffing, there are so many ways you can enhance the flavor and even texture.

Besides a fresh flavor and the pride of knowing your whole spread was made by you and yours with love, making your own means total control over the final product, and an opportunity to add your own expressive twist to an otherwise basic recipe.

We've rounded up the best tips for how to make stuffing , including tips for getting just the right texture, some fun flavor ideas, and hacks for keeping your stuffing stress-free. Got a pen ready? Here's your stuffing essentials grocery list: fresh sage, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley… Noticing a theme here?

Getting your herbs fresh from the produce aisle or farmer's market, rather than using dried herbs from the cabinet, will give you maximal flavor and fragrance. Be sure to cook your vegetables first, adding your herbs later in the game to avoid overcooking and losing that savory, aromatic profile. The one thing that shouldn't be fresh in your stuffing is the main ingredient: bread.

Using a fresh loaf will inevitably become soggy in the cooking process, so it's key to use stale bread that can stand up to broth and the water released by your veggies as they simmer. You can ask your local bakery for yesterday's bread to jumpstart the process, but should you find yourself in a pinch for time on the day of, you can always dry out your bread cubes in the oven to remove any extra moisture before you begin.

Enhancing a standard stuffing recipe with pork or turkey sausage is a popular way to make a heartier, more meal-like dish. Choosing a fennel sausage has the additional benefit of adding a sweet, bitter flavor that can feel a bit more unique. Measuring by weight, use a ratio of bread to sausage, sauteeing the meat separately until brown and mixing it in with your other ingredients just before baking. Try this recipe from Epicurious. We're used to seeing stuffing served in a casserole dish fresh out of the oven, but I'm here to tell you that you have options.

For a crispier texture, spread your ingredients out on a sheet pan, exposing more surface area directly to the oven's heat.

You're just in time to learn the crucial difference between "stuffing" and "dressing" here in Turkey Terminology While the two may look and taste quite similar and the terms are often used interchangeably, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey, while dressing is made in a separate casserole dish. Unless you're an expert chef, it is much safer to make dressing on the side, to avoid contaminating it with undercooked poultry, or overcooking your turkey while trying to get your stuffing to cook inside.

Like the final look of a stuffed turkey? Go ahead and stuff it at the last minute, once everything is cooked to code. After all, no one is thankful for Salmonella. If it's a subtle, classic stuffing you crave but have found the flavor a bit lacking, the simplest solution is to go beyond celery by adding celery leaves and celery root with this recipe from Martha Stewart.

Chop one celery root into half-inch cubes and dice four celery stalks for every loaf of bread you use. Throw in a half cup of chopped celery leaves for enhanced flavor and texture.

Leeks make a nice companion and can be included with garlic and freshly chopped sage for a bolder taste. While most recipes call for rustic french bread, these will certainly exclude any gluten-free diners. For a satisfying swap that everyone can enjoy, opt instead for cornbread as your base. Though you can always begin with a store-bought cornbread, these can sometimes make the recipe overpoweringly sweet, not to mention less healthy.

For more control, try making it yourself with the help of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Mix or another organic blend from your local health food store or aisle. Be sure to bake it a few days ahead of time so that it has time to dry out, and crumble it into your favorite recipe for a touch of Southern flair.

Depending on how you cook, a Thanksgiving meal can either be a minefield or a masterpiece for a vegetarian. Sure, the turkey is off-limits, but if prepared thoughtfully, the side dishes can be all the meal they'll need. Make sure the dressing is on the list of things they can eat by swapping out the standard turkey or chicken broth for a vegetarian chicken broth or vegetable broth with vegan bouillon cubes.

Say "adios" to bland stuffing by adding chorizo with this bold recipe. In a nonstick pan, saute your onions, celery, chorizo, and some poultry seasoning.

Top it off with some jalapeno to turn up the heat, and swap out the standard herb selection sage, rosemary, and thyme with cilantro. Add it to your bread with chicken or turkey broth and you've got a spicy new twist on an old favorite. Trader Joe's also offers a tasty vegan chorizo that could fool most meat-eaters. Most recipes rely on bread to do the heavy lifting, but if you're looking for an alternative, rice can do the trick.

Some people like to do a combination of the two, while others stick to an all-rice version that, admittedly, can feel less like stuffing and more like a casserole.