Marcia, I don't follow a recipe for dressing. Amounts vary depending on whether I am making enough for a crowd or just for Moe and I. If I'm making a bread stuffing I just saute onions and celery in butter. When the onions and celery are tender I add a little chicken broth, salt , pepper, fresh chopped sage and parsley and toss with bread cubes, just enough to moisten. I like the

to be a fair size, not crumbs. And I don't like the dressing to be soggy. If I'm making cornbread stuffing I add the same ingredients including some bread cubes and lots of fresh ground black pepper. Additional seasoning depending on how I feel is some garlic sauted in with the onions and celery and fresh thyme.

Ann

What my mom does is the following. We kind of go by taste and texture in mixing the mix.

Mix 2 bags unseasoned croutons (bread cubes) with 1 pack seasoned croutons ( just use seasoned not herb or caesar or such) Add 1 onion chopped, 3-4 stalks celery, 1 -2 cups cooked turkey. Then add chicken broth 2 quarts or so until smooshie. We then season with poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. I season to taste. Then put in 9x13 pan at 350 until top gets dark. I will also put more broth on it so it doesn't dry out. It is really good and tasty.

Stacie

These are sooooo good!

Corn Bread and Sausage Dressing

16 slices white bread (1 loaf Texas toast)
16 oz. package cornbread mix
2 pounds pork sausage
6 stalks celery; chopped
2 onions; chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic; minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 eggs
6 cups chicken stock

Cut bread into cubes and lay out to dry. Prepare cornbread according to box directions; cool and crumble coarsely. In a large skillet, cook sausage until well browned; place in a large mixing bowl along with drippings. Cook onions and celery in butter and oil until tender but not brown. Add all ingredients to the large bowl along with the sausage. Stir together well and pour into a greased 9X13X2-inch baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden but not too dry.

For oyster dressing: omit cornbread and sausage, reduce stock to 3 cups and add 1pound chopped fresh oysters along with liquid.

Marilyn

I have two recipes I use -- one more traditional than the other. People seem to enjoy both, so I keep making two recipes each year.

Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
(Note: I omit the raisins!)
Serves 12

Nonstick veg. oil spray
2 - 14 1/2 oz loaves country-style white sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 16 cups)
8 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 1/2 ozs)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 very large red onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 ozs)
3 1/2 c. coarsely chopped celery
2 large red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 c raisins (I omit)
3/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1/2 - 3/4 c thinly sliced fresh basil
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
extra broth

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Place half of bread pieces in large bowl. Add 3 Tbs. oil and toss to coat, then add 1/2 c Parmesan cheese and toss. Spread bread in single layer on 1 prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining bread, 3 Tbs oil, and 1/2 c cheese; spread on second sheet. Bake bread until golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets. Transfer to very large bowl. (I do this the night before and store in air-proof container until next day.)
Melt 1/4 c. butter with remaining 2 Tbs. oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers; saute until vegetables begin to brown and are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add chopped garlic, rosemary, and oregano; stir 1 minute. Add raisins and pine nuts; stir 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread. Stir 1/2 c. basil and remaining 1/2 c Parmesan into stuffing. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix eggs into stuffing.
Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter 15x10x2 inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to moisten (3/4 c to 1 1/4 cups) Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake untiil heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.
(from Bon Appetit 2001)

This is a new version of a traditional recipe for a slow cooker:

Old-Fashioned Sage Stuffing Casserole
Setting and Cooking Times: HIGH for one hour, then LOW for 5-6 hours
Serves 6

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, or 1/2 c olive oil
2 large yellow onions, minced
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped; or 1 large carrot, chopped
1 small loaf French bread, cut into small cubes
One 7-oz package seasoned stuffing mix, or 2 c crumbled day-old cornbread
1/2 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp salt
A few grinds of black or white pepper
1 large egg (optional), beaten
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c turkey or chicken broth, as needed
2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces

In a large skillet, heat the butter until melted over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Put the bread and stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the parsley, dried herbs, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Pour the sauteed vegetables over the bread cubes and mix together. Add the egg and enough of the broth, stirring, until the ingredients are evenly moistened. Taste to adjust the seasonings.
Coat the slow cooker with butter, olive oil, or nonstick cooking spray. Pack the stuffing lightly into the cooker. Dot with the butter pieces and sprinkle with a few more tablespoons of chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
Reduce the heat to LOW and cook until puffy and nicely borwn around the edges, 4-5 hours. The dressing can sit in the cooker, covered, on KEEP WARM for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve hot right out of the crockpot.
(from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)

Thanks folks. Erin, your first recipe is similar.

I tried to remember what went in to mine. I think:
garlic
onions
celery
mushrooms
day old french bread, torn
parsley
rosemary
thyme, or was it oregano? (see? this can be a problem)
eggs
chicken broth
walnuts
salt
pepper

That's all I can remember...

it's hard to be satisfied with something else when there is something SPECIFIC you want...i was sure epicurious would have something but i came up empty handed. sorry. but this is our very favorite and certainly worth a try if you can't figure out what you really wanted. enjoy!

Mom's turkey stuffing the best!
sauté:
3 or 4 ribs of chopped celery with
1 large chopped onion in a little olive oil
add a bit of salt and pepper
meanwhile, in a large bowl stir together:
2 C cooked instant rice
1# bulk pork sausage (raw)
2-3 C crouton stuffing mix
1 tsp poultry seasoning or sage
(you can also add in 1/2 C of chopped pecans or 1/2 C chopped cranberries)
Stir the sautéed celery and onions into the above and loosely spoon it into the turkey and cook the turkey as recommended. if using this as dressing, bake in a covered casserole dish at 325 for 1 hour--the addition of 1/2 a can of beer or a little chicken stock in the baking dish is good.

I called mom today to make sure I had our family recipe right in my head. It's pretty simple, but very tasty. Lately, she likes to add a bit of stovetop for some of the sweeter spices in it, but since I'm not there this year, I will be leaving that out. (: Here it is:

The Dale Family Oyster Dressing

One pan of cornbread made with buttermilk, cooked in iron of course (:
3 eggs, 1 raw, two boiled
1 - 1 1/2 cans chicken broth
cooked giblets (chopped up gizzards, and meat from the neckbone)
sage
chopped green onion blades from 2-3 onions (more if you like)
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
s&p
paprika
Tony's seasoning (optional, and only a very little bit)
1/2 pint oysters or more, if you like, chopped into pieces

Crumble the cornbread, and mix a can or more of chicken broth, enough to make it soupy. Add sage, salt and pepper, and Tony's, tasting as you go (this is the reason not to add the raw egg yet). Then add onions, celery, 1 raw egg, giblets, and oysters, mix well. Fold chopped, boiled eggs in. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle a little paprika on top, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes till the top starts to brown, and the dressing gets firm. If the inside is still soupy, turn the oven down to 300 and cook it until it is firm.

Feeds 6-8

NOTE: If you use oysters, you don't need to eat leftovers past the day after Thanksgiving. Toss it out after that if there's anything left. It spoils very fast. Also, don't stuff the turkey with the oyster dressing. You can stuff some of it in before adding oysters if you like, but we never do. Also, this year, I would not get oysters from the Gulf. The VA bay oysters are great, though.

Thanks for your input. I decided to go ahead and wing it on my Rosemary Walnut Dressing. It turned out delicious, although not everyone a)wanted dressing or b) wanted that particular dressing. More leftovers for me!! YAY! I could eat it for breakfast! Even the young kids liked it.

I forgot to put eggs in the side dish version but it was still yummy. I had to add a tad more broth to the dish while it cooked in the oven.

Thanks again!

Colo Lady, would you mind posting how you eventually made your rosemary walnut dressing? I also tried a search for you but couldn't find anything. It sounds wonderful and I wouldn't mind making it during the holidays. Thanks!

I started with 2 loaves of french bread, torn with crusts left on and left out to air dry.
Saute in 1 stick of melted butter:
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups diced onions
1-1/2 cups diced celery
1 pound mushrooms, stems removed, coarsely chopped

Mix bread and sauteed veggies in large bowl with:
1-1/2 cup chopped parsley
about 1 tbsp each dried rosemary and thyme
about 2 cups very coarsely chopped walnuts
enough chicken broth to moisten to taste
salt & coarse ground pepper to taste
(Don't know quantities of fresh herbs, if used instead of dried)

Stuff portion of mixture in bird to fit loosely. Add 1 egg to balance of dressing and put into greased casserole to bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hr. Suggest putting tin foil over casserole for 1st half hour, if you want. Then remove for brown and crusty top.

Note: I had forgotten the egg in the oven casserole, but it still was delicious. Plus I had to add some more chicken broth to the oven casserole during baking because I forgot to cover it with tin foil for first half hour, but it came out great in spite of me. However, the one in the bird is always the best version.

Let me know what you think. This is my absolute favorite bread dressing.