Herbed Cracker Stuffing Recipes

HERBED CRACKER STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, and celery, and saute until just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine, and simmer 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in bread cubes, crackers, herbs, and 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Stir in broth, milk, and eggs until just incorporated.
• If not stuffing turkey, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon stuffing into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with parchment, then foil, and bake 45 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Uncover stuffing, and bake until top is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes.

FARMHOUSE HERBED STUFFING

Steps:

• In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderate heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking. Stir in onion and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing: In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderately high heat, sauté, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.)
• Transfer to large bowl and add stuffing cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1¼ cups hot stock.
• If using to stuff turkey:
• Use immediately to fill cavities and spread remainder in baking dish as directed in Classic Roast Turkey recipe .
• If baking in a casserole pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9-by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with ½ cup hot stock (stuffing baked outside of the turkey won't be soaked in the turkey's juices, so extra stock is drizzled on top to keep it moist). Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
• Variations:
• Sausage and Sage Stuffing: In large, heavy skillet over moderate heat, sauté 1 pound bulk pork sausage, breaking up pieces with spoon, until meat shows no sign of pink, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to large bowl. Proceed with recipe, adding ingredients to bowl with sausage and substituting 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage for dried rosemary and sage.
• Dried Apricot and Pecan Stuffing: Dried fruit are better than fresh in stuffing because the latter get soggy with long baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1½ cups (6 ounces) pecans on rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. In medium bowl, combine 1½ cups diced dried apricots and hot water to cover. Soak until apricots plump, about 30 minutes, then drain well. Proceed with recipe, tossing apricots and pecans with other ingredients in large bowl.
• Test-Kitchen Tips: Warm, moist stuffing is an optimal environment for bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli to multiply, so it's important to follow safe procedures. Be sure to make the stuffing at the last minute so it can go into the bird warm. This helps it move above the "danger zone" (the optimal temperature range for bacteria growth) more quickly during roasting. Stuffing baked outside of the turkey can be spread in the baking dish and refrigerated for a few hours while the turkey roasts, but it should be prepared on the same day as baking.

CLASSIC HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.
• 2. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
• 3. Bake 35 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

CLASSIC HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.
• Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Bake 35 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

TELBAN'S FAMILY CRACKER STUFFING

Steps:

• With crackers still in their sleeves, crush up with your hands (easier to crush this way, and it keeps your hands cleaner). Place crushed crackers in large bowl.
• In a frying pan, saute the butter and onion until the onion are tender, about 5 minutes. Chop celery into small pieces and add to the crackers. Add cooked onions and butter to the crackers; mix well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add milk a little at a time (you might not use all of the milk), until the cracker mix is moistened.
• Cracker mix should form a ball which you can hold in your hand. Use to stuff a 12-pound turkey. When stuffing a turkey this does not expand, so you want to pack it in tight. When the turkey is ready, you pull out the stuffing in one big chunk and slice it. Great on a turkey sandwich the next day!

CELERY-HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Toss with bread cubes in a large bowl. Spread in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toast in oven, tossing once, until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Place celery root in a medium saucepan; add salted cold water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain; set aside.
• Heat oil and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Add celery, onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 20 minutes.
• Put celery root, vegetable mixture, and toasted bread into a bowl. Return skillet to medium heat. Add vermouth; cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until it bubbles. Pour over bread-vegetable mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup stock, the poultry seasoning, and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3 eggs.
• To cook stuffing in turkey: Stuff as directed (see turkey recipe); for the remaining stuffing, stir in 3/4 cup stock, spoon into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish, and dot generously with butter. Cover with foil, and bake at 375 degrees, 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. To bake all of the stuffing in the oven: Stir an egg and 1 1/4 cups stock into stuffing, spoon into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish, and dot generously with butter. Bake as directed above.

HERBED CHICKEN AND STUFFING SUPPER

Steps:

• Place chicken in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Spoon soup over chicken. Top with sweet potatoes. Mix stuffing mix, water and margarine; spoon over sweet potatoes.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.
• Sprinkle green beans over stuffing. Cover and cook on low heat setting 15 to 20 minutes or until beans are tender.

HERBED BREAD, CRACKER AND LEEK DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Spread bread on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until just dry but not brown, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Transfer to very large bowl.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, onions and celery and sauté until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread. Mix in cracker crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Butter 2-quart baking dish. Mix milk into dressing. Reserve about 6 cups dressing for turkey. Mix 1/2 cup broth into remaining dressing and transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake dressing in covered dish alongside turkey for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes longer.