Top 5 Turkey Stuffing Recipes 

Here are my favourite turkey stuffing recipes for you – believe me, I have been cooking for many years and have made these stuffings countless times. You can trust that what I share with you is easy to make and very, very good!

1. Mushroom Stuffing:

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 large onions, diced into ¾ inch pieces
• 6 celery stalks, sliced crosswise, ¼ inch thick
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1-1/2 lbs. of assorted mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
•  2 loaves of Italian bread (1 lb. total) cut into 1-inch cubes and dried
• 1 can – 14 oz. of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup of coarsely chopped parsley
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Butter 8-inch square pan for extra stuffing
3. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat, add onions, celery, 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper
4. Cook, tossing often until beginning to brown – 12-15 minutes
5. Add mushrooms
6. Cover and cook until the mushrooms release liquid – 5-7 minutes
7. Uncover, cook, tossing occasionally until tender and the liquid has evaporated – 10-12 minutes
8. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely
9. Add bread, parsley and ¾ cup of water to bowl – toss well
10. Season with salt and pepper and mix in eggs
11. Prepare and stuff turkey
12. Transfer extra stuffing to prepared baking dish and cover with buttered foil
13. Refrigerate until ready to bake
14. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove foil and bake for about 20 minutes longer until top is golden

2. Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of fresh pork sausage, casings removed, crumbled
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 lbs. of prepared cornbread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh sage
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-2 cups of chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a large non-stick skillet, cook the sausage meat over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and cooked through – 5-8 minutes
3. Transfer to a large bowl
4. To the pan, add onion, celery and ¼ cup of water
5. Reduce heat to medium, cook, stirring and cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables soften – about 10 minutes
6. Season generously with salt and pepper
7. Add to sausage
8. Add cornbread, sage and eggs to the sausage
9. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan, pour ½ over stuffing and toss gently (cornbread will break into small pieces)
10. If needed, add up to ½ cup more broth, until stuffing feels moist but not wet.
11. Stuff into turkey, using about 4 cups
12. Spoon remaining stuffing into a baking pan – it should reach the top.
13. Refrigerate stuffing in pan and remaining broth separately, covered until ready to bake
14. How to bake extra stuffing:
15. An hour or so before serving, moisten stuffing in pan with reheated broth (up to 1 cup)
16. Bake, covered about 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned on top – 15 to 30 minutes

3. Basic Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 4 cups bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• turkey or chicken broth

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and celery in the butter until softened.
2. Combine onion mixture with bread, pepper, eggs, salt, sage and poultry seasoning in a large mixing bowl.
3. Stir in broth until well moistened.
4. Enough for an 8 to 10-pound turkey.
5. Or, bake in a greased covered shallow casserole at 325° for about 35 to 45 minutes.
6. Take the cover off for the last 5 minutes to brown.

4. Apple Pecan Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups dry wheat bread cubes, about 8 slices
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine chicken broth, celery, onion, butter, and salt.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender for about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes, chopped apples, chopped pecans, sage, cinnamon, and pepper.
4. Pour broth and vegetable mixture over the bread cubes.
5. Gently stir to moisten.
6. Spoon into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake, covered, at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.
7. May also use as a stuffing for an 8 to 10-pound turkey.

5. Cherry Stuffing:

Ingredients:

• 8 bacon strips, chopped into small pieces
• 1-1/2 cups of chopped celery
• 3/4 cups of chopped onion
• 4 cups of bread cubes
• 1-3/4 cups of chicken broth
• 1-1/2  teaspoons of sage
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of dried cherries, chopped into halves

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.
2. Remove and place on paper towel, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings.
3. Saute celery and onion in drippings until tender.
4. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, broth, sage, thyme, pepper and salt. Stir in the bacon, celery mixture and cherries.
5. Just before baking, loosely stuff the turkey. Skewer turkey openings and tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter.
6. Bake, uncovered at 325F for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 180F for the turkey and 165F for the stuffing. Baste occasionally during baking and if turkey browns too fast, cover loosely with aluminium foil.
7. Let the turkey stand covered for at least 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.

Have a wonderful holiday season and please share your experiences – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!