Recipe: Stuffing Additions

Stuffing Additions
Collected from rec.food.cooking

I've been adding sweet italian sausage to my basic stuffing recipe for a few years. - Jason Baim

Rather large quantities of sherry (among other things). - Michael Lerner

I like Jimmy Dean sage pork sauage. - J. Link

Well, I put raisins in our stuffing. Now that may not seem all that unusual of an ingredient, but I really don't like raisins so it's a big change for me. I *do* like the raisins in the stuffing, however. - Carrie Leonard

I am still a fan of Pecans!! I love the crunch and the flavor. In a pinch...walnuts will do also. - BrawnyBear

Jimmy Dean mild sausage and mushrooms, and more onions than most mere mortals enjoy. - Nancy Howells

Onions (lots), butter (lots), Pepperridge Farm bread cubes (nothing else will do), parsley, celery, crisp and tart apples, Bell's Seasoning, fresh herbs (sage & thyme), Cognac, white wine, OR bourbon, chicken stock, egg yolks, freshly ground pepper (lots), and sometimes roasted and peeled chestnuts. Since roasting and peeling chestnuts is a job that is high on my "hate to do" list, I some splurge and opt for one of those jars of peeled chestnuts that Williams Sonoma sells. - Anne Bourget

I like to add carrots and/or celery(grated in a food processor), the minced giblets(sauteed in butter with onions), raisins. Canned, drained pineapple is great! - Cibelia

I added chopped pecans and dried cranberries to my stuffing this year. Turned out pretty good! ;-) - Lara Alewine

In my neck of the woods, pecans and apples are always used in the stuffing, as well as spicy sausage. Lots of onions as well. - Allison...down South

Make the same gala dressing with sauteed onions and celery. Then I saute oysters until they just start to curl and chop them (if big) and fold them in. - Mary f (Pud)

Tried adding oysters one year. Made the whole turkey taste like oysters. No one would eat it. I add walnuts to my traditional stuffing for a little crunch. It's always a big hit. - Mardi Wetmore

I was making the stuffing on Thursday morning when my mom arrived with a container of dried cranberries. I threw some in and it was fabulous - added some nice color and a slightly sweet/tart taste to the usual mushrooms/onions/celery in challah mixture. - Penina Freedenberg

Apples and manderian oranges. Mixed nuts. Pineapple (crushed). Dried friut works really good chopped up. - Michele

My friend's sister puts (among other things) cubes of mozzarella cheese. This sounds pretty disgusting, I know, but it's *wonderful*. - Christine Neidecker

I make a version of my grandmother's Hungarian stuffing (which she always made to serve alone, pan fried, for lunch--yum!). Anyway, it consists of celery and onions (lots) and perhaps hungarian peppers and/or hot white peppers depending on my mood browned in bacon grease (we buy bacon once a year to make the grease then freeze it--I can't stand bacon personally, but the flavor is vital to the stuffing); add to the onion mixture ground meat (we usually use a mix of lean ground beef and ground pork, although we have a local grocery that makes terrific sausages that are a nice touch). Cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Now add lots of paprika, and fresh black pepper; I use a combination of sweet and hot (Szeged's of course :-)). Then, mix in day old bread cubes (we use either Vienna or Italian from a local bakery), moistening with water as needed. You add about as much bread as meat in volume. Then heat it up and let the flavors meld. We usually make this the night before, and have the extra (and there is always extra :-)) for dinner. Then, it is a simple matter of preparing the turkey in the morning. We also freeze the stuffing as is, for quick one pot dinners during the winter. It is delicious! - Kari

I like CRUNCH in my stuffing so I add nuts (like slivered almonds) and cubed raw carrots. - Liz Little

My family has always used Saltine crackers for the bread part. I like to saute onions, celery and the giblets (leave out the liver) in some butter. Add this to the crumbled saltines, add an egg and either water or milk to moisten. Season with poultry seasoning or whatever you like. My aunt always took the excess stuffing and added raisins. She baked it on the side. Her version omitted the giblets since she uses these for the gravy. - Rap

I like to add some *HOT* sausage to stuffing, usually some Pep. Farm that I will add some fresh mushrooms, celery,etc. - Lloyd Evans

Water chestnuts. Nice and crunchy! - Judy

Sun dried tomatoes. - Rachel

Depending on my mood, our stuffing consists of herbed cornbread or herbed bread cubes, sausage, celery, portobello mushrooms sauteed with sherry, and chopped raw cranberries. - Ronnie Wexler

Every year it's a different variation on the cornbread stuffing theme. Last year it was lots of chopped, sauteed onion and coarsely chopped dried apricots, the year before toasted pecans and dried cranberries. It just depends what's on hand. - Chris Larse

To cornbread stuffing (using Pepperidge Farm mix), I add:
ALWAYS: Celery and onions, sauteed in part of the butter to be added, Stuffing-type herbs: thyme, sage, marjoram, parsley.
SOMETIMES one or more of the following: Cooked sausage, chopped apples, water chestnuts, dried cranberries, mushrooms, green pepper, pecans. - Linda Snow

I made this a few Thanksgivings ago and most people liked it. Take a variety of fresh and dried mushrooms (not button mushrooms), I used about 2 cups total. Rehydrate the dried ones and chop the fresh ones.Saute the lot until the juices are released.Mix the chopped mushrooms with some day or two-old good sourdough bread, cubed, add a medium sauteed, minced onion, a minced sauteed shallot, some good chicken stock, a bit of the mushroom liquor, a slosh or two of brandy, and whatever herbs you might like (thyme works good). The whole concoction should be a little on the wet side. I added some fresh parmesan (a good sprinkling) and then baked the whole thing, adding chicken stock as needed, until the top was crusty. Be careful not to overseason as the subtle and distinct flavors of the mushrooms should come through the end product. - mgeost