Apple, Onion & Celery Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

Breads such as sour dough, French bread or Italian loaves are for the best bread for stuffing. Their soft-but-sturdy interiors are the perfect texture for stuffing. The pieces retain their shape without crumbling.

You haven't said whether you are going to cook the stuffing inside the bird or out, but it's fine to make almost any stuffing a few hours before you'll need it. The important thing is to keep it properly chilled so that bacteria won't have a chance to grow in it.

Leeks. When cooked, celery and leeks share a similar fibrous and slightly soft texture. Leeks impart a light onion flavor that celery doesn't have and tend to be a bit stringy. This swap works best in soups or recipes like stuffing, where you would typically find an oniony flavor along with the celery.

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing. Either dry out your bread starting a few days before you plan to make the stuffing by letting it sit out or, if you don't have the extra time, cut the bread into cubes, and then toast over a low heat in the oven until dry.

Spread bread cubes in even layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until edges have dried but centers are slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), 45 to 60 minutes**, stirring several times during baking.

Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry. If your oven only goes down to, say, 250°, start by baking for 30 minutes, then check the dryness of a cube or two.

Stuffing: While many chefs agree that the celery, onions and meat can all be cooked ahead and tossed with your bread chunks on Thanksgiving morning, Gresham says you actually can make the entire stuffing ahead of time. And freeze it.

Why is stuffing not healthy? ›

Typically high in fat, carbs and salt, stuffing can be made fresh or purchased chilled, frozen or dehydrated.

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

Make a soup - simple enough - bring celery sticks to a boil, then puree them, add salt and pepper. Voila - simple enough. If you want more oomph, add fancy herbs like rosemary and a dash of lemon. No calories, but definitely tastes much better.

I garnished the celery with some paprika and dried parsley. You could even top the stuffed celery with some chopped pecans!

For me, the crunchy texture of the celery is an important component of stuffing. If I couldn't use celery, I would probably substitute it with something even crunchier, such as water chestnuts for a savory stuffing, or maybe coconut for a sweeter stuffing.

Egg yolks: Raw egg yolks add richness, flavor, and help to bind the dressing together. Pasteurized egg yolks — which have been briefly heated to kill off any harmful bacteria — are readily available and can be used here.

Most commercial stuffing brands use animal products like milk, egg whites, butter, and chicken broth to bind the stuffing together. Some brands also use cornbread, which uses egg in the mixture. Homemade is the way to go if you want to incorporate only plant-based ingredients in your vegan stuffing mix.

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

Not only do eggs add an element of creamy indulgence, there's even some science behind their joy. “Eggs are a perfect emulsifier and binder so work really well to make many dishes cohesive,” she continues.