Sage Pork Turkey Stuffing

2 (16-ounce) packages stuffing mix
1 pound turkey giblets, cooked and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, finely minced
1/2 pound ground pork
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl combine stuffing mix, cooked and chopped giblets, chopped celery ribs, minced onion, ground pork, egg, sage, salt, and pepper. Use the water the turkey giblets were cooked in to moisten the mixture to the desired consistency.

Place in a baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Double Cornbread Dressing

4 slices bacon
1 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped celery
2 C. self-rising cornmeal mix
2 (15-oz.) cans cream-style corn
1 C. sour cream
1 stick butter, cut in small bits
3 eggs, beaten to blend
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. poultry seasoning or pinch of sage
1/2 t. milled pepper

Heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; set aside. Fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Stir in onion and celery; cook until translucent. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal mix, canned corn, sour cream, butter, eggs, parsley, poultry seasoning and pepper. Stir in onion, celery and crumbled bacon. Turn into the sprayed baking pan; bake 45 minutes at 350° F. or 1 hour for a deeper, 2-quart dish.

Yield: 10 servings.

Laura Bush's Cornbread Stuffing

1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 C. stone-ground cornmeal
2 C. flour
2 T. baking powder
4 t. sugar
salt to taste
2 eggs, beaten
2 C. whole milk or 1 cup milk and 1 cup water
3 C. chopped onion
3 C. chopped celery
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, divided
1 T. olive oil
1/2 to 1 C. fresh sage, chopped
ground black pepper to taste
3 C. turkey stock

To make cornbread, heat oven to 450°F. Heat vegetable oil in 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan in oven until very hot. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir in eggs and milk; then pour hot oil into batter and mix. Pour into the pan; bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

To make the dressing, reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Sauté onion and celery in 12 tablespoons butter and the olive oil until soft; add to cornbread. Add sage, salt and pepper to cornbread mixture; place in a 9 x 12-inch glass baking dish.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter; drizzle over cornbread. Spoon turkey stock over cornbread. (Dish can be prepared a day or two in advance up to this point. Refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before baking.) Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes; remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes, until brown. If dressing seems too dry, drizzle with more stock and butter.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Southern Cornbread and Oyster Dressing

1/4 cup butter
1 large onion -- chopped
4 green onions -- chopped
2 stalks celery -- chopped
3 cups crumbled cornbread
3 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper -- to taste
2 large eggs -- lightly beaten
1 pint shucked oysters -- drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onions and celery in 2 tablespoons of the butter until wilted, not browned.

Combine cornbread and bread crumbs in a large bowl; mix in sauteed onions, salt and pepper, and parsley.

Add beaten eggs and toss more; moisten with the oyster liquid until moist but not soggy. Add the oysters.

Pat the mixture into a lightly buttered rectangular cake pan (it should make a 1-inch layer in the pan). Dot with remaining butter and bake about 45 minutes, until golden brown and set in the center.

Leek and Cornbread Stuffing

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 (16-ounce) package cornbread stuffing mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped, trimmed leeks, white and light green parts
1 cup chopped celery
10 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F (unless you're using this to stuff a turkey)

Toss stuffing mix with about half of the melted butter; set aside.

In a skillet, heat remaining butter over in a large skillet over medium heat until foaming; sauté leeks and celery for 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in bacon, pecans, salt and pepper; then combine with stuffing mixture.

If not using as a stuffing, spoon into a 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings.

New England Cornbread Stuffing

2 C. cubed cooked cornbread
1/2 lb. sausage meat, cooked, drained and crumbled
3/4 C. sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 C. chopped pecans
1 t. chopped thyme
1/2 C. chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients except chicken broth in a medium casserole dish. Add chicken broth; mix well. Add more chicken broth for a moister stuffing.

Cover and bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Makes about 3 cups.

Rye-Bread Stuffing

Makes 3 ½ cups.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 5 cups rye bread cubes
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 tsp sage
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions

Over medium heat, melt butter in medium saucepan. Add celery and onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well combined.

Chestnut Stuffing

Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb whole chestnuts
• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 4 ½ cups white bread cubes
• 2 egg whites, slightly beaten

Instructions

Place chestnuts in saucepan, with enough water to cover them, over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and cut chestnuts in half. With the tip of a small knife, scrape out chestnut meat from inside shell. Chop chestnut meat and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan, add celery and onion and cook until tender (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients, ½ cup water, and chestnut meat, mix well.

Sausage-Cornbread Stuffing

Makes 6 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 12- to 14-oz package corn muffin mix
• ½ lb hot Italian sausage links
• 3 medium stalks celery, diced
• ½ tsp rosemary
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 egg

Instructions

Preheat over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare corn muffin mix as directed and spoon into sprayed 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack while preparing the rest of the ingredients. In skillet over high heat, warm sausages with 1/4 cup water to boiling. Reduce to low heat, cover, simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat, turning sausages to brown on all sides, around 15 minutes. Remove sausages to paper towel to drain. Discard all but 2 Tbsp sausage drippings and return to stove over medium heat. Add celery, cooking until tender. Remove from heat. Dice sausages and crumble cornbread, add to skillet with seasoning, egg, and 1 cup water. Mix well.

Brown Rice-Walnut Stuffing

Makes 6 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 chicken-flavored bouillon cube or envelope
• 1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 2 medium stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/4 tsp sage

Instructions

Prepare brown rice, adding bouillon. In large skillet, over medium heat, cook celery and onions in melted butter until tender (about 7 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat, stir in walnuts, sage, and cooked rice.

Apple-Herb Stuffing

Makes 5 cups.

Ingredients

• ½ large loaf Italian bread
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 medium cooking apples
• 2 Tbsp green onions, minced
• 3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
• Butter or margarine, sparingly

Instructions

Cut bread and apples into 3/4-inch cubes, but keep separate.. In large skillet, over medium heat, melt small amount of butter or margarine with seasonings, then add bread cubes and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove to a separate bowl. Add apple chunks and green onions to skillet, cooking until tender (add another small amount of butter if needed). Return bread to skillet and add juice. Heat through, stirring gently.

Oyster Stuffing

Makes 5 cups.

Ingredients

• 2 pints shucked standard oysters
• 1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 6 cups white bread cubes
• 3/4 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp poultry seasoning

Instructions

Drain oysters, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. Coarsely chop and set aside. In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter or margarine and cook celery and onion until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add oysters, oyster liquid, bread cubes and remaining ingredients. Toss to mix well.

This apple stuffing is one of my favorite side dish recipes. It has both sweet and savory flavors, making it appealing to everyone.

Best Stuffing Recipe

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 16 oz. bread stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or sweetened dried cranberries
• 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
• 2-1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion and celery. Cook until translucent. Add mushrooms, cooking until softened. Remove from heat.

Pour stuffing mix into a large bowl. Add vegetables, cherries, apples and chicken broth until moistened and well combined. Stir in spices. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 12.