With three weeks until Thanksgiving, you have plenty of time to start thinking about your holiday menu. Planning ahead is always a great idea in helping reduce stress and anxiety associated with figuring out what to serve your family and friends. Making sure to start with the basics, you can never go wrong with serving the essential Thanksgiving dishes.
My must-have Thanksgiving dishes include mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, roasted turkey, green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts, and homemade pumpkin pie.
Today I would like to focus on stuffing because no Thanksgiving meal is complete without it. Traditionally made with dried-out cubed bread, this dish can be baked inside the cavity of a turkey or baked separately. Personally, I prefer to bake it separately to reduce the overall cooking time of the turkey and to prevent soggy stuffing – because no one likes to bite into overly wet and mushy bread-type casserole. Instead, a good stuffing should be flavorful and hold its shape.
With thousands of different stuffing recipes online, I have a deep appreciation for the simplicity of a simple seasoned stuffing dish that doesnt have too many mix-ins added to it. After all, I want it to compliment the main turkey dish. Today Im sharing a favorite family recipe passed down to me from my mom. She used to make this stuffing every year. It is traditional in flavor and very easy to prepare.
If you prefer more add-ins, feel free to add dried fruit like cranberries, currents, or raisins. Chopped apples work very nicely as well. You can also add chopped olives, mushrooms, scallions, or crumbled sausage. Some people even like to add oysters.
Dont forget, stuffing is not only for Thanksgiving. It also makes a great side dish during the cold autumn and winter months. But if you are starting to plan now for Thanksgiving, here is a great recipe to add to your menu. Enjoy!