Total:
85 mins Prep: 25 mins Cook: 60 mins Yield: 10 Cups (20 Servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) 284 Calories 8g Fat 44g Carbs 9g Protein
This is a classic, delicious bread dressing with chopped oysters, a nice choice for a holiday dinner, that is a tasty complement to turkey, but it can also be served with chicken, duck, or goose, and goes well with other traditional holiday sides.
If you are cooking the stuffing inside the turkey, see the tips below the recipe for the safe minimum temperature and how to handle the leftovers.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup onion (finely chopped)
3/4 cup celery with leaves (finely chopped)
1 pint small oysters (drained and chopped; reserve the juice if desired)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
10 to 12 cups breadcrumbs (day old and softened)
1/2 to 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock or part oyster liquid
2 eggs (beaten)
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
Add the oysters, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup of chicken broth; stir to blend ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Add the beaten eggs and mix well, adding more broth to moisten, if necessary.
To stuff a turkey, fill the cavity loosely with the stuffing mixture. Before taking the turkey from the oven, make sure the center of the stuffing has reached the minimum safe temperature of 165 F. The turkey might test done, but if there is stuff in the bird, it should also be checked.
To cook the stuffing separately, heat the oven to 350 F.
Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter it lightly. Pack the stuffing mixture into the baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until the stuffing registers at least 160 F.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips
When stuffing a turkey, stuff it loosely, allowing about 3/4 cup per pound of poultry. About 9 to 10 cups should be enough to fill a 12- to 14-pound turkey.
As soon as the stuffing is prepared and moistened, stuff the bird. Don't cool the stuffing first. Roast the raw, stuffed turkey immediately.
Never cook a stuffed turkey at an oven temperature below 325 F. Do not remove the stuffing from the turkey before it has reached the minimum safe temperature of 165 F.
Let the roasted turkey rest for 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving.
Refrigerate both the stuffing and the turkey within 2 hours after cooking.
Store leftovers in shallow containers in the refrigerator and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftovers to the safe minimum temperature of 165 F.
