Mum's Simple Classic Turkey Stuffing - Recipe Winners (2024)

FAQs

Should I put an egg in my stuffing? ›

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

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.

Like many convenience foods, Stove Top stuffing has gotten a bad rap in recent years, especially from people who have *opinions* about what is healthy to eat. It's got too much sodium, there are weird ingredients that you can't pronounce, and it's just better to make your own stuffing. But “better” is subjective.

Fair enough—putting the bird on a makeshift rack, or "foil coil" as the experts at Butterball refer to it—gives the juices a chance to drain, so the bottom of the turkey doesn't get soggy. Surround the turkey with quartered vegetables to roast, and some chicken broth, which will keep the bird tender and juicy.

Classic Aromatics

Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavor builders are the base of stock and most soups. As your turkey cooks, they'll steam and infuse your bird with moisture and flavor.

Season the turkey cavity at both ends. Stuff some of the stuffing into the main cavity, but be careful not to pack it in - there must be enough space between the stuffing and breastbone to fit the handle of a wooden spoon. Stuff the smaller cavity at the neck end, again leaving a little space.

How do you safely cook stuffing? The stuffed meat, poultry, or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

Why does my stuffing come out mushy? ›

If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush. Curtis Stone says to pour it on a large sheet tray and spread it out. Bake it on high heat to crisp it up, but make sure it doesn't burn.

It's a matter of preference, but adding a beaten egg to your stuffing mixture acts as a binder and keeps the bread moist.

Eggs add richness to the stuffing, and makes it cohere better. I'd use two eggs per pound of bread. I'm a no egg person - and I still stuff the bird (but also do a batch out of the bird). me, too, Chem - I make a boatload of dressing (we never stuff the bird) specifically so I have leftovers to eat with gravy.

But there are plenty of good reasons to skip the raw egg in the classic dressing. For some, the risk of foodborne illnesses such as salmonella is a deterrent. For others, there's an "ick" factor to eating raw eggs.

Turkey stuffing was popularized in the early days of Thanksgiving, as it is written in many 16th-century Boston area documents. Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables that are reconstituted with liquid, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and baked until it is firm and finished cooking.

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.