Recipe(tried): My Family Turkey Stuffing (using ground beef and ground pork)

MY FAMILY TURKEY STUFFING

This is a meat stuffing my family has used all my life and before. This was given to my mother by her mother, and I imagine, her mother. Our whole family used this recipe. My daughter makes this stuffing as well, and now my granddaughters have the recipe so they will eventually use it.

It is a very tasty stuffing so we make "tons" of it to freeze or use over the holidays. It's good on toast with gravy as a hot open sandwich. Or with turkey slices and gravy as a leftovers meal.

You can make it a day or so ahead, but you must bring it to room temp if you are going to stuff your bird with it.

First, have a very large bowl or pot close to stove top so you can put ingredients in as they are cooked.

Second, you need a good sized fry pan, preferabley with deep, straight sides.
Third, a good pair of tongs and spoonula.

Fourth, are the ingredients. These are estimations, I don't really measure.

Fifth, you might want to do the prep ahead so as to be able to cook and stuff all at once. Or not!

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef, your choice of cut
1 lb ground pork*, I use Jones Sausage Roll
1 cup large dice celery
1 cup large dice onions
1 to 2 boxes Pepperidge Farms Garlic/Onion croutons
1 lb butter (you may not need it all)
Poultry seasoning
Salt
Pepper

*you could use just ground pork but the sausage gives a better taste.

Heat fry pan and oil lightly with a pat of butter. Fry 1/2 the beef and 1/2 the sausage together. Make sure to break it all up and mix it well until all is cooked. Dump it all into the pot/bowl you have waiting. Juices and all.
Do the same to the rest of the beef and sausage. Mix thoroughly.

Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter in fry pan and saute the celery until almost cooked. Dump it all into the pot/bowl and mix thoroughly.

Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter in fry pan and saute` the onion until wilted, but not brown. Dump all into the pot/bowl and mix thoroughly.

Add seasonings at this point. Use the amount that is to your liking. Mix very well. If it seems too dry at this point, melt more butter in the fry pan and add to the mix.

Finally, add the 1 box of croutons and mix several times over the next 15-20 minutes. There should be little or no liquid in the bottom of the bowl/pot after this time. The croutons should have absorbed it. If not, add more croutons and repeat.

Now you can either put the stuffing in a casserole dish, roaster or other baking pan, and cook separately from the turkey.

I stuff my turkey, both neck and cavity. The extra stuffing goes in a separate pan to cook along side the turkey.

With this we serve mashed potatoes, peas, my special turnip/carrot mash, cranberry sauce, and Polish rye or sisal bread. Of course, the gravy, too!