Mom's Stuffing

Sundays are generally the same routine for me. I get up by 8:00 and watch CBS Sunday Morning. It is a long running news magazine show that has a really great variety of segments from arts, entertainment, current events and a whole lot more. I watch it while I have breakfast, do my workout or read the paper.

I also spend part of the morning doing food prep so I can prepare a full meal for my Sunday dinner. I love to cook but usually do larger meals on Sundays. That way I can freeze individual servings for use on nights when I just don't have the energy to cook. Tonight I am cooking a turkey breast roast and making my mom's stuffing recipe.

When I was a kid, I remember mom making the stuffing for a "bird" and my brother and I taking cereal bowls and eating the stuffing before she could put it in the bird. She always said she could never make enough stuffing to fill all the birds - especially the two live ones. I still find myself nibbling on the stuffing before it goes in the oven. These days, I rarely stuff a bird, I just do it in a casserole dish with a couple of chicken breasts on top.

Mom never actually had a recipe written down for the stuffing - until about 20 years ago. You know how all these great old recipes were passed down. It was always a handful of this, a bit of that. I wanted a more defined recipe. One weekend when I was at the farm, I had mom roast a bird. While she made the stuffing, I had her actually measure everything so I could write out the recipe and make it myself. I still pull out the recipe when I make it, but I have learned to "eyeball it" and it is still the best stuffing I've ever had! I just have to make AND save enough to actually cook some!

Mom's Stuffing

8 cups bread (white or whole wheat) cubed or torn (I use day old - not stale or dried)
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (1 1/2 teaspoons chicken in-a-mug bouillon/powder dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water)

Mix the first six ingredients together, then drizzle margarine over top. Toss gently to coat all. (This is when I start nibbling, but try and resist!). You can stuff the cavity of a small bird and bake or place stuffing in lightly greased casserole dish and add chicken broth for moisture. Stir gently till broth is evenly absorbed. Cover and bake in 350F oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Stuffing should be slightly moist.

Yummy hot or cold. Freezes well. This recipe can also be doubled or tripled depending on how many "birds" you're feeding!

Enjoy!

dn