Pams Positively Perfect Thanksgiving Dressing Recipes

CLASSIC THANKSGIVING DRESSING WITH PARSLEY, SAGE AND THYME

Steps:

• Spread bread cubes in a single layer on two large sheet pans and let dry for a few hours or overnight. Adjust oven racks to lower- and upper-middle positions. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery; saute until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix bread, vegetables and remaining ingredients. Turn into a greased 3-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until steamy, 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until crusty, 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

NANA'S THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS PAN DRESSING

Steps:

• First, prepare your cornbread which is the base of this dish:.
• Heat oven to 450°F; grease 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square pan.
• Put it in the oven to heat. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into greased pan, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
• Set prepared cornbread aside to cool. When cool, remove from pan and in a large 4 quart mixing bowl, cube into 1 inch cubes or you can just crumble it with your hand (which is what Nana would do).
• Carefully de-bone the chicken and shred/chunk. You want to end up with at least 3 cups of chicken. More is fine too.
• Finely chop celery and small chunk the onion. In a heavy bottom skillet, combine drippings or cooking fat and 4 TB of stock . Add onions and saute on medium heat, stirring and scraping bottom of pan often until onions are beginning to become clear but not yet limp (about 3-4 minutes). Add more broth at any time you feel you need it- to prevent burning. Add celery and cook about 3 minutes longer until celery is crisp tender and onion is clear and limp and perhaps beginning to caramelize. Remove from heat, stir in all seasonings and set mixture aside for now.
• Grease (or spray with nonstick) your disposable pans. You can use glass and line with foil too. Set aside.
• Combine the cubed or crumbled cornbread and cut/shredded chicken in the same big 4 qt or larger bowl. Add reserved celery and onion mixture.
• In a small bowl, beat the 6 eggs until frothy. Then, add to cornbread, shredded chicken,and cooked celery mixture. Stir minimally. Add 6-8 cups of chicken stock 1 cup at a time until the texture is still bready yet pourable. Take your time because the cornbread will absorb liquid over the course of a few minutes. If you overdo the liquid, add some of your torn whole wheat bread. Nana says: "You want it more moist than dry, ok?" Don't mix until you've let it sit for a few minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• After allowing the cornbread to set for 2 minutes, mix to combine, but don't over-handle.
• Pour (if you can't pour you need more liquid)into your greased and disposable or foil lined glass dishes and bake for 45 minutes or until set and browned on top. If edges are done to a couple of inches in, then the center is probably done enough too.

MY MOM'S PERFECT THANKSGIVING STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, combine the bag of bread cubes with Pepperidge Farm herbed seasoned stuffing.
• 2. In a frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sautée onions, green pepper, and celery (or celery seed) until all is softened and translucent.
• 3. Pour melted butter and vegetables over all bread cubes and crumbs.
• 4. Mix in the two beaten eggs. Toss.
• 5. Add: 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning 2 Tbsp Dried Parsley 1 Tsp Oregano Toss again.
• 6. Now pour chicken broth over all of the mixture making sure that stuffing is ALMOST wet. You want it to be more than damp, but not downright wet so that stuffing doesn't dry out while inside turkey baking. (You can judge if stuffing is becoming too wet, just reserve the rest of the broth if not needed. Many people like to use milk, but I find that it causes it to have a bland flavor. The chicken broth is the secret to excellent flavor, here.)
• 7. Toss once again, making sure all bread is well coated with all ingredients.
• 8. Stuff the turkey, packing tightly, but not too tightly (as in "don't really jam it in there") at both ends. (If you have any leftover, you can put it in a casserole dish, and refrigerate until 45 minutes before turkey is done, then put in the oven with turkey for extra stuffing.)
• 9. Use softened butter and, using fingers, rub butter all over turkey until coated. Then shake a little paprika over the top of the entire turkey.
• 10. Put about 2 tablespoons flour inside the baking bag before putting the turkey inside. Push turkey into the bag. Close bag tightly. Make three slits across the top of the bag for ventilation and put it into a roaster pan.
• 11. Put the lid on the roaster. Then bake following instructions for the size turkey you have. (**Note: the baking bag will probably cut baking time by at least 3/4 hr to 1 hour, but really holds in the juices and turkey stays very moist and juicy.) No basting is required when you use the baking bag, but if you wish, you can baste one or two times during baking.
• 12. **Note** Be sure to remember to make the slits in the top of the baking bag, maybe an inch or two long, and be sure to put the little bit of flour into the bottom of the bag before you put the turkey inside. When finished, you will have an ample supply of broth inside the bag to make your gravy. Simply use a cup or ladle to scoop it all out. (What broth I don't need, I always put into a plastic container and freeze to use when I make my chicken soups. I add it into the pot of soup and it gives my soups added extra special flavor!)

PAM'S POSITIVELY PERFECT THANKSGIVING DRESSING

Steps:

• Unwrap and set bread out overnight to dry partially. If desired, leave in oven (with pilot on if gas) to help dry.
• Cut bread into 1/2' cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Chop onion and celery. Gather broth, herbs, seasonings, craisins, and parmesan cheese.
• Toast pecans either in a hot dry skillet or on a baking sheet in the oven at 300° until fragrant but not browned. Stir constantly in the skillet or occasionally in the oven. Watch carefully. When toasted and fragrant, remove from skillet or hot baking sheet to cool and avoid overbrowning.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and celery when melted and cook until translucent. Turn heat to medium or medium low. Add half of the broth to the skillet, then add all of the herbs and seasonings except craisins, cheese and nuts.
• Simmer vegetables in broth with seasonings for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the mixture in the skillet to the bread cubes in the large mixing bowl, distributing the broth over the bread. Mix lightly and taste to adjust seasonings if desired. Remember that you will be adding parmesan later which is salty.
• Add extra broth to moisten the dressing to where it is just slightly more moist than what you want the final dish to be. Add Craisins, nuts and parmesan and toss to combine well, trying not to compact the dressing. (I prefer dressing that is moist but not soggy, and not packed down in the dish.)
• Place the dressing in a large casserole and either cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until baking, or cover with foil, punching a few holes in the foil to let some steam escape and place the casserole in a preheated oven at 350° until hot (about 35 to 45 minutes), removing the foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes to brown the top.