Thanksgiving is upon us and it’s time for a very special side dish — my mother’s turkey dressing! I only treat myself to this guilty pleasure at Thanksgiving (and of course for leftovers) for very obvious reasons. However, among the many blessings I have to be thankful for, this is one I’d like to share for all to enjoy.
Recipe
Modifications to the original recipe were made to reduce the saturated fat and salt content while retaining its delicious flavor. This has always been my favorite…
Ingredients:
- 1 package cubed seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 loaf bread (whole wheat or bran bread – “stale”).
Thanksgiving Basket - 1 container of chicken livers
- 1 cooked turkey liver
- Broth (boil the neck to make fresh broth, or use already prepared broth)
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning.
- 4 cups chopped celery
- 4 cups chopped onion
- 6 large eggs (beaten slightly).
- pepper
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
- Sautee onions and celery in olive oil, cook until soft then set aside.
- Sautee chicken livers and turkey liver, cook until soft then set aside.
Advance timeline:
- 3 days before — onion and celery
- 2 days before — cook liver, neck, innards in chicken broth, low salt.
- Dice the liver and add to the onion mixture in refrigerator. Save flavored broth for stuffing.
Day of Meal:
- Place bread in a large pan (Take 1/2 loaf of bread out a couple of days before and dry out.)
- Wet bread with broth, add beaten eggs, butter/oil, liver, onions & celery. If done in advance, you will need to lightly heat mixture before adding to bread mixture (not too hot though or the eggs will cook).
- If you stuff your turkey, do it just before baking and place it in a mesh stuffing bag. Bake according to the directions. Please note, it is critical to maintain proper internal safe cooking temperatures.
Certain foods or particular meals bring us “home” in tradition. This is one of mine… . What family recipe is one of yours that you would like to share?
Thankful for Every Blessing
