Making Stuffing From Scratch

This year, I’m making stuffing from scratch! I’ve been introducing sourdough bread back into my diet because it doesn’t seem to increase inflammation the way normal bread does. Since I typically used the sort of stuffing mix you buy in a box that’s made in a pan on the stove, this time, I googled a bit just to get the general idea of how much chicken broth to use and then I did my own thing from there.

I cut some sourdough bread in half and buttered it with some herbal butter I made and then heated it in the oven on a cookie sheet for maybe 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Not all toast halves were done at the same time, so I left some in longer but I kept checking them until each one was crispy on top.

For the herbal butter, I blended marjoram, Thai basil, Cuban oregano, Thai pepper, Himalayan pink salt, and winter savory into two sticks of softened butter.

While the bread was toasting, I melted around a 1/2 cup or so of butter in a sauté pan and added some celery I found out in the garden along with an onion that had already cured. I didn’t have enough celery to equate to what the recipes I found called for so I added extra onion. There was a little ham left over from breakfast, so I diced that as well and threw that in to be sautéed with the onions and celery.

I took the toast halves out of the oven and sliced them into pieces. I had just enough to fit the glass baking dish I wanted to use. The idea was to create seasoned croutons and this was the only way I could figure out to do it.

After transferring the diced croutons into a large bowl, I spooned in the butter/onion/celery/ham mixture and lightly disbursed it with a chopstick. Chopsticks are a favorite tool in the kitchen. I use them for everything.

Next, I slowly drizzled in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth which I made with some powdered bouillon and again used the chopstick to coat the croutons and then poured the stuffing into the glass baking dish and covered it with some foil.

 

The stuffing then went into the oven, again on 350 degrees, and I left it to bake for 40 minutes. When it was finished, I let it cool enough to go into the refrigerator. I made the stuffing today because I won’t have the space tomorrow so I’ll reheat it in the oven during the last hour the turkey is cooking. I think I’ll have enough room but we’ll see.

The best part is that I still have some of that herbal butter I made this morning. The herbs came from my garden which is truly satisfying.

Happy Thanksgiving!