Holiday Stuffing: A Timeless Tradition with Fresh Local Ingredients

The holidays are here and that means stuffing! Typically served around the holidays, the history of stuffing spans thousands of years. Ask 100 people and you are likely to get a hundred different answers on the best ingredients and methods to make stuffing.
I’ve spent 30 years trying different methods and listening to many pieces of advice. I advocate cooking stuffing in a pan. Stuffing it into a turkey or chicken runs the risk of salmonella. If you cook to a safe temperature for the stuffing, you may have overcooked the main course. So why run this risk? Besides, the experts say the taste difference is negligible.
I grew up being taught that you make stuffing from a box bought at the grocery store. What you are really buying is dried bread and a dried seasoning packet. Making stuffing from scratch is actually very simple to do. Drying bread in cubes is beyond simple. The end result is stuffing that tastes far better and uses better ingredients.
Combine dried bread, onions, celery, fresh herbs, butter, broth and seasonings and you’ve got the base for an amazing stuffing! You can add in anything additional to make this recipe your own. Common add-ins include sausage, dried fruit, almonds, bacon, mushrooms and even oysters.
Best of all, everything you need to make stuffing, including the add-ins, can be found at our local certified farmers markets! Each of our markets hosts a local artisan baker with bread. They also host a variety of farmers with plenty of onions, celery and fresh herbs! If you’re looking to add mushrooms, meats or even oysters to your stuffing, the farmers markets have you covered as well. Our wonderful certified farmers markets host a variety of farmers with the freshest items!
The process for making dried bread cubes is very simple and detailed below.

INGREDIENTS
• 2 loaves bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes (you will use about about 5 quarts of dried bread)
• ½ cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup finely chopped sage leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken or turkey broth (homemade is best)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Bread Cube Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut bread into ½ inch cubes. You may cut them larger if you want a more rustic stuffing. Spread the cubes onto rimmed baking sheets (you will likely need two). Spread the bread out evenly.
Place bread into the oven and bake for 1 hour, tossing the bread cubes every 20 minutes. At the 1 hour mark, check the cubes. If they are not completely dry, put them back in the oven and check every 15 minutes. Remove when dry and allow them to cool. They are now ready to use for stuffing.

Instructions

In a large heavy bottom pan, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, celery and sage and cook until everything is beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the broth to the pot. Combine well and remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs, remaining 2 cups of broth and parsley together. Add the mixture to the pot and combine well. If using any add-ins, now is the time to add them. Add all bread crumbs to the pot and toss well ensuring that all the bread crumbs are coated in the mixture.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Pour the stuffing mixture into a large greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.

The Old Town Newhall Farmers Market operates every Saturday from 8:30 until 1pm in the parking lot of the Old Town Newhall library. The new Valencia FivePoint Farmers Market operates every Sunday on Magic Mountain Parkway. The Canyon Country Farmers Market operates every Wednesday from 4pm until 7pm in the parking lot of the Canyon Country Community Center. The markets can be found on Facebook, Instagram and the web.

Comments