Stuffing/Dressing Panic!
Okay, so maybe it's not that BIG a crisis but I need some assistance in putting together a killer dish of dressing.
It's my first Thanksgiving away from my family because I'm going to be spending it with my OH and his parents. Somehow I landed the job of making a more "exotic" dressing to go with his mother's traditional bread mix with mire poix and chicken broth. While I'm not going too far off the beaten path (I don't want a big lonely pile of wildly flavored dressing left over) I am trying two combine two recipes to maximize flavor potential. I just don't know if I'm going too far with it.
I have the seriouseats cornbread dressing with bacon and pecan which I love for the mixture of bread, bacon and nuts...and again, the bacon. But I wanted more, so I thought it'd be good to try and modify it using a recipe from epicurious: sausage cranberry and pecan stuffing.
Now the big issue is how all these flavors (Cornbread, regular bread, sage, thyme, cranberries, apples, sausage, bacon, pecans) go together? I think that they'd be amazing and tasty, but the bacon might be the odd man out. Should I omit it? If I keep it should I use hickory, maple, applewood smoked? Regular? Is this whole endeavor just too much in terms of ingredients?
I already drove my OH crazy by asking if we could try it out this weekend. I don't think he fully appreciates the importance of stuffing (He thinks I'm barbaric for advocating in-the-bird-cooking process) so I would love if I could get some advice. Thanks!
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13 Comments:
First your Stuffing/Dressing idea sounds really good which ever way you go with the bacon...I don't stuff my bird with dressing I just mix and in the oven....I do stuff the bird with herbs and various type of fruit..smells the house up real nice and tastes good too.
Markbb at 11:37AM on 11/19/08
Personally this sounds great to me. I think I`d choose either sausage OR bacon (and being me, I would go with bacon). I just made a killer traditional stuffing last evening - and was once again reminded of the importance of FRESH poultry seasoning. That is one mixture that goes stale in a hurry.
Maureen at 11:48AM on 11/19/08
I agree with going with either the sausage or bacon,both might be too much.I sooo love bacon,but in the stuffing,I think I'd go with the sausage,must be something about the sage in it.Everything else sounds great tho.Good luck !!!
onepercent99 at 12:03PM on 11/19/08
I also agree - choose sausage or bacon. Personally, I'd go with sausage as it tends to compliment, rather than overwhelm the flavors in a stuffing.
BUT, you gotta use bacon somewhere...maybe bacon bits on green beans...? I love to use pepppered bacon since it gives everything a nice spiciness :)
I'm also one for baking it alongside the turkey instead of stuffing it...I feel like it gets less mushy this way.
Good luck and have fun!
bitchincamero at 12:25PM on 11/19/08
I am making two separate dressings this year. One with bacon and the other with sausage. I just can't see the two together. I think it would be way too overwhelming. I would personally go with the sausage but that is probably because my mother made it that way.
ddvierra68 at 12:36PM on 11/19/08
Bacon bits on the green beans - what a great idea. I'll have to tell my husband about that one.
That stuffing sounds great. I wonder how a mild chorizo will go...
Cassaendra at 12:37PM on 11/19/08
Oh, forgot one thing... I agree with bitchincamero - Add bacon elsewhere. It would be fantastic in the green beans - I normally add a ham hock to my beans but bacon sounds pretty tasty :)
ddvierra68 at 12:38PM on 11/19/08
Thanks guys. I figured the bacon might be flavor over-kill. It's just hard to say "no" to something you love so much, you know?
And I had planned on just throwing the dressing into the oven instead of stuffing it into the turkey. Mainly because we're going to be frying the sucker, and I cannot wait.
I just think the stuffed inside vs. baked alongside debate is a great spiritual conflict that my OH and I are trying to work through.
Alyrmc at 12:40PM on 11/19/08
Isn't it amazing how Thanksgiving more than any other holiday meal makes us stick to our upbringing? Everyone in my family has a "HAVE TO HAVE" dish and between us that requires the same meal year after year. Every year I try new appetizers or throw in a new vegetable, but even when we marry new people, we still end up with turkey although it is up to the hostess to decide how to cook it-this year it will be deep fried, Grandmother's Cornbread dressing (baked in the oven), gravy, some form of green beans, congealed cranberry sauce from a can ( I used to make exotic ones but they like the canned stuff) some kind of sweet potato that involves marshmallows and Watergate salad. Desserts must include pecan pie but can be more adventurous. I have a grandson who inhales my deviled eggs. This is a really easy meal as no research has to be done on recipes! The rest of the year they all love the new and different foods. In this family I guess Thanksgiving is another word for comfort.
ocarol at 4:49PM on 11/19/08
As long as it does not have the liver or giblets ect. you can put whatever you want in the dressing. Any kind of bacon, sausage, oysters, or all veggie I would welcome you and the dressing I would do a special dance of the dressing dance for you. That is my fav part of the dinner, that and the gravy. Then I ask myself all year long why I don't make stuffing all yr till the holidays lol. If you make it out of the bird just make sure that that it is really moist even to the point that before you put the dish in the oven have it swimming, trust me the bread will soak it up.
pjracz10 at 4:49AM on 11/20/08
Sausage & Apple Dressing
1 8x8 pan no sugar cornbread; crumbled, then toasted
1 package hamburger buns; toasted, then crumbled
1 lb sage pork sausage
1/4 c butter or margarine
1 large white onion; chopped
4-5 sticks celery with leaves; chopped
2 cups chicken broth (give or take)
1 large fuji apple with skin; chopped
3 eggs; beaten
Poultry seasoning
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350O. Spray 24 muffin cups with non-stick spray, set aside. Use of paper muffin cups is not recommended
Brown sausage. Remove from pan and chop well with knife or in food processor. Set aside. Sweat onions and celery in rendered fat from sausage and butter. And ΒΌ tsp kosher salt to help draw moister from veggies.
In large mixing bowl combine breads, sausage, and veggies. Add chicken broth until mixture is just beginning to come together. Add seasonings to taste (including salt & pepper). Stir in chopped apple. Mix in eggs. Scoop into muffins tins using ice cream scoop. Bake for 20 minutes. Tops should be golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in pan.
supersu75 at 10:57AM on 11/20/08
My very favorite dressing, and I've both tried and made several types, is the traditional recipe on the box of Mrs. Cubbison's dressing. To me this is still the best!
wannabgourmetcook at 4:53PM on 11/22/08
I have been guilty of cooking a stuffed turkey breast a week or so prior to the holiday, JUST to test my stuffing-making (and gravy-boating) skills. So if it isn't too late, you could try a smaller version of what you plan to do large scale later this week.
Personally, I believe the simpler the stuffing, the better.
Violindy at 8:29AM on 11/24/08