Eating Healthier in Today's World

To Stuff or Not To Stuff - That is the Question!

The holidays just wouldn't be the same without stuffing!  This dish pleases the meat eaters and vegans alike.  Whether you call it STUFFING or DRESSING , everyone knows it is the best part of the turkey dinner!  Technically it is a stuffing as traditional we stuff it inside the bird however it can also be made outside the bird and then it is a dressing that you can make to taste like the stuffing by putting in some of the turkey's drippings.  Turkey stuffing is one of my favourtie dishes for the holiday dinner.  Don't be afraid to make stuffing as it is so easy to prepare and you can also be as creative as you like perhaps adding a family's favourite ingredient.  Check out some of these great stuffing recipes including a couple of Gluten Free Stuffings.

Click here for Delicious Southern Cornbread Stuffing

The Four Ingredients You Need For Stuffing

To make a great turkey stuffing you need four basic elements:

1. Starch or Carbohydrate.  This is the base of turkey stuffing and it can be a number of different things.  While white bread is by far the most popular stuffing, I choose to make mine out of whole grain breads and even a mixture of different breads.  Other options may include cornbread, grains like quinoa, rice, pasta, or even just vegetables.

Click here for Gluten- Free Quinoa, Bread and Cranberry Stuffing

2. Herbs and spices:  This is what will give your stuffing some character and wonderful flavour.  You don't need a lot and you can choose from a number of different combinations.  Common choices include sage, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika, onion, garlic or even hot pepper flakes for the real adventurous.  Poultry seasoning is probably the most wide-used which a combination of some of the above.

3. Your Own Personal Flavouring or Additives: This is where you can get real creative.  I personally like lots of mushrooms as you can see from my favourtie stuffing recipe below, but here are some other suggestions for some different additives that will give your stuffing pizzaz.  

Try adding some of the following:

• Meats, such as bacon or the ever-popular sausage stuffing - Click here for Super Sausage Apple and Cranberry Stuffing.

• Fruit, fresh or dried (apricots, plums, cranberries, and figs are popular

• Nuts (Hazelnuts, Chestnuts, and Pecans are most popular)

• Certainly various herbs and spices, poultry seasoning being the most common

• Sautéed vegetables (like celery, onion, or Totally Awesome Mushroom stuffing -my favourite

• Shellfish (like oyster or shrimp)

4. Moisture: Liquids keep the stuffing moist.  Again their are a variety of choices but I prefer the traditional chicken broth.  Be careful not to put too much liquid into the stuffing as you don't want the stuffing gooey or mushy, just moist.  Also remember if you are putting the stuffing in the turkey that it will also pick up some of the turkey juices so make it a little on the dryer side compared to a stuffing to be cooked outside the turkey.  You could add broths, sauce (like Worcestershire or soy), beaten eggs that will hold it together, or even fruit juice.

No matter what you put in it, the best turkey dressing recipe is one that results in a stuffing with a crisp top, a soft center, and a whole host of flavours that balance in perfect harmony with the rest of your meal. Additionally, a good recipe leaves room for leftovers – everyone loves snacking on stuffing after the holiday is over!

Click here for Gluten-Free Vegetable Stuffing

How Much Do I Need to Make?

To know how much you will need you have to decide whether you are going to stuff the turkey or cook the stuffing outside of the turkey.

Cooking a Stuffed Turkey - The rule of thumb is that you can make 1 cup of stuffing to one lb. of turkey.  The trick is to never pack the cavitiy of the turkey too tightly.  It will expand as it is cooking and if it is in their too tightly, the stuffing's texture is changed.   Each dinner guest will eat approximently 3/4 of a cup of stuffing but you will certainly want some leftover so it is always better to over-estimate.  A good stuffing will always get eaten later.  Also remember you will need to cook your turkey and extra 30 to 40 min.or longer if you stuff it.  Make certain to check the times for a Stuffed Turkey. I always make extra and cook some in a casserole after the turkey has come out of the oven and is resting.

Cooking it Outside the Turkey -When making stuffing for turkey dinner, cooking the stuffing outside the bird is becoming a more and more popular choice. Note, however, that stuffing that's headed for a baking dish needs a little more moisture than the mix you put in the bird. You can get this by waiting until your turkey's cooked awhile and adding some drippings to the dish before you put it in the oven. Also cook the stuffing with aluminum foil over top until about 15 minutes before serving. That will help keep it from drying out. You know your stuffing is done when it reaches 165 degrees.