Recipe(tried): Make-ahead giblet bread stuffing / dressing

Make-ahead giblet bread stuffing / dressing

You do not have to stuff your turkey to make good dressing/stuffing. Here is how you can make great stuffing, and do most of the work the day before you serve it. [Note: There are many ingredients you can include when making your stuffing. The following instructions are for a "basic" stuffing and meant to provide you with guidelines for doing a lot of work the day before you serve the dish.]

The day before Thanksgiving ...

Reserve the giblets and the turkey neck from inside your uncooked turkey the day before Thanksgiving.

Buy a package of chicken hearts or livers or mixed giblets (1-1 lbs.) Put the turkey neck, giblets from the turkey and the giblets which you purchased in a saucepan along with 3-4 cups chicken stock, one peeled onion cut into quarters, one stalk celery, and one peeled carrot cut into large chunks. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for two hours.

Remove giblets and the turkey neck from stock, cool and refrigerate. Cool stock. Refrigerate. (Note: When stock is cool, skim scum off the top.)

Heat a non-stick skillet (medium heat) and add 6-8 tablespoons butter or enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom of the skilled. Use this pan to saute 1 pounds thickly sliced mushrooms, 1 chopped onion, and 3 stalks of chopped celery. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the vegetables to cool, cover, then refrigerate.

On Thanksgiving day...

Combine 1 (16 oz) bag of Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing with 8 ounces melted butter and 2 cups of the stock you made the day before according to package directions.

Lightly beat two eggs and mix with stuffing. Dice the chicken/turkey giblets. Add the giblets and the sauteed vegetables to the stuffing. Strip the meat off of the cooked turkey neck and add this meat to the stuffing.

Use an oven-proof casserole dish with a good-fitting lid. Spray the casserole with non-stick cooking spray. Place mixture into the casserole dish Bake, covered, in 350 degree oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.