Thanksgiving is a food holiday that, for my family, is strictly old school. We do not do radicchio, or tofu, or quinoa. Think Betty Crocker, not Giada. We also believe that stuffing doesn't have any "stuff" in it that you can clearly identify. If you find a mushroom or chestnut or (god forbid) a cranberry in it, then it isn't "true" stuffing. This is my recipe for stuffing that is adapted from how my mother taught me. It cooks down so long it begins to resemble dark matter. Enjoy.Ye Olde Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 boxes of stuffing mix (Mrs. Cubbison's Unseasoned is good - do not get cornbread type)
- 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Sausage (plain is best, or try Sage)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 onion
- 1 bunch celery
- White Wine (or chicken broth, or other liquid)
- Ground sage, salt & pepper to taste
- Open wine. If it is after breakfast have a glass. It's Thanksgiving, what the hell. Plus, you know it's going to be a long day.
- Empty boxes of stuffing into really large mixing bowl
- Cook & crumble sausage until browned; drain on paper towel
- Put skillet back on (don't waste time washing it) and melt the butter on low heat until it is foamy.
- While the butter is melting, chop the onion and celery until fine. Save the heart of the celery for stuffing with cream cheese, because that is an important part of Thanksgiving Dinner. Even if no one eats it.
- Top off your wine.
- Cook the celery and onion in the melty butter until they are translucent. Don't let them get brown.
- Dump the sausage and onion-celery-butter mix and seasonings onto the stuffing cubes.
- Add liquid for however much the boxes of Dressing say to add, making it half wine and half chicken broth. I think it's about 2 cups per box. It should be moist, but not soggy.
- Now stuff it into a greased crock pot (this makes it "stuffing" on a technicality). Cram it in there, it should all fit.
- Cook on "low" for at least 4 hours. If you want to get fancy, do two things: add some of the drippings from your turkey pan part way through the cooking time, and bump it up to "high" for the last hour; this will make crispy edges that are delicious.
