What's the best part of Thanksgiving? The turkey? No way. It's the stuffing. And to think there was a time when I thought stuffing could only be made from a box! Don't get me wrong—boxed stuffing is good, but premade packages of stuffing are a real damper in the creativity department. (Not to mention they're loaded with sodium and other not-so-wholesome ingredients in the form of preservatives.)
Homemade stuffing is ridiculously easy to make, but there are a few things you can do that would ruin a perfectly good stuffing. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when you're making stuffing from scratch and tips to fix your stuffing.
Mistake to Avoid No. 1: Cooking Your Stuffing in the Turkey
OK, so this tip really applies to any stuffing, but it's worth mentioning because it could destroy the potential to ever allow stuffing to cross your lips again. Don't cook the stuffing in the turkey! What about those iconic images of a turkey brimming with stuffing, you ask? Forget about them. You are looking at either (a) a turkey that has been cooked to oblivion or (b) stuffing that's basted in raw turkey juices, a real food-safety hazard.
Here's why: In the time it takes a stuffed turkey to get up to 165°F in the center of the cavity (the "safe" temperature for poultry), the breast meat and possibly everything else will be overcooked. Even if the stuffing is fully cooked beforehand, if you take the turkey out of the oven with the stuffing just "warmed," you'll run the risk of eating stuffing contaminated with raw turkey juices. Everything, even the stuffing, has to reach the recommended 165°F if it's in the bird, so cook it in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish instead.
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When you're creating your own stuffing, the sky is the limit when it comes to ingredients. You can add dried fruit, fresh fruit, vegetables, sausage, nuts, grains, whatever. But you want to make sure there is an element that keeps it all loosely sticking together. That's called a "binder," and bread is really great at this. To work its magic, the bread needs a little liquid. (How much? See below.) Bread that's slightly dry sucks up moisture like a sponge and once it's tossed with other ingredients it starts to break down slightly and acts like the glue for everything else. Any kind of bread will work—wheat bread, sourdough, rye—even cornbread and gluten-free bread. Experiment with different flavors to find the one you like best.
Healthy Stuffing Recipes
Mistake to Avoid No. 3: Soggy or Dry Stuffing
How to make dry stuffing moist? Stuffing needs moisture to prevent it from drying out, but knowing how much liquid to add can be tricky. You want your stuffing moist but not soggy and certainly not dry. The bread in the stuffing absorbs moisture, but if it's dry (as it should be, see above), it takes some time for the liquid to settle in. I suggest adding a little at a time, say 1 cup of broth for every 4 cups of dry mix. Give it a good stir, then let it sit for a minute. The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.
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Pictured Recipe: Vegan Cornbread Stuffing
Mistake to Avoid No. 4: Too Much Salt
One of the pitfalls of packaged stuffing is copious amounts of sodium. When you make stuffing from scratch, you can control how much salt you add—to a degree. Unfortunately, common stuffing ingredients like bread, sausage and broth have a good amount of sodium in them. Manage sodium levels by being judicious with "extras" like sausage (just a little goes a long way) and choosing low- or reduced-sodium broth. And you don't necessarily need to add salt to stuffing. Taste it before you bake it (as long as there isn't raw meat involved) to see if you really need to add extra salt.
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If you don't get the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients right, you could end up with stuffing that falls apart. If you want to avoid all that stress altogether, bake it up in a bundt pan and serve it by the slice.
If you don't get the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients right, you could end up with stuffing that falls apart. If you want to avoid all that stress altogether, bake it up in a bundt pan and serve it by the slice.
It won't reduce the sodium level of your dish, but adding an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or even a tomato product, can neutralize the saltiness of a dish. Start with a dash or a squeeze, stir well to combine, and give it a taste before adding any more.
If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush. Curtis Stone says to pour it on a large sheet tray and spread it out. Bake it on high heat to crisp it up, but make sure it doesn't burn.
If your stuffing is too wet and gummy, turn it out onto a baking pan or cookie sheet.Break it up and spread it in an even layer.Then bake until dried to the desired level.
It's all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. I don't use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.
We recommend adding stock a little at a time--1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how much stuffing you're making--and waiting for the bread to absorb the liquid before adding more. Once the bread is moist but not sitting in a pool of stock, it's ready.
Fruit, especially dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, figs and apricots can seriously improve a dreary box of stuffing. That bit of sweetness plays beautifully with other flavors on the table. I've found that fresh fruits like apples and pears are stellar as well.
Often upon refrigeration, the stuffing will soak up any excess moisture and will appear drier than when originally served. Depending on the amount of stuffing you plan to reheat, drizzle a few tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup of chicken or turkey broth into the stuffing to moisten it.
If your dressing is too salty, temper it with something sweet. Sugar works perfectly fine, but your dressing will get some extra vhoom from honey, maple syrup, or pomegranate molasses (careful, this last one is sour, too).
It's a matter of preference, but adding a beaten egg to your stuffing mixture acts as a binder and keeps the bread moist. Moisture is what holds all the ingredients together, rather than turning it into something resembling croutons and roasted vegetables.
If your dressing doesn't turn out right, don't fret. You can usually fix it. If you find your stuffing is too dry, add additional warmed broth to it, stir well, and return to the oven, checking periodically. If the stuffing is overly wet and too gummy, cook it uncovered for a bit longer, checking periodically.
Like many convenience foods, Stove Top stuffing has gotten a bad rap in recent years, especially from people who have *opinions* about what is healthy to eat. It's got too much sodium, there are weird ingredients that you can't pronounce, and it's just better to make your own stuffing. But “better” is subjective.
Start by cutting the bread of your choice into half-inch cubes. Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry.
Here's the thing about using a pan, a little butter, and some broth to reheat stuffing: it makes it taste even better than it did the day it was made. The bread gets crisped by the hot pan and the broth helps soften the stuffing that has otherwise absorbed a lot of its original moisture.
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