Anyone else disappointed by the stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner?

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This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the General Discussion forum).

That's the one thing I look forward to and this year's was bland and hardly seasoned—and it was cold. The gravy didn't even help it.

To me if the stuffing is not good...

[MaryMagdaline]

1. No. I'm a Stove Top dressing fan. I never count on home made.

This year’s was good.

Sorry 😐 yours was not. When you look forward to something all year it is doubly disappointing.

I made the gravy and it was good. This constitutes a miracle in my family, ie that my gravy turned out well.

[northoftheborder]

5. My gravy and dressing were both good! Miracle!

Usually one or both are terrible!

[KT2000]

2. against advice -

I stuffed the bird and made sure the temperature was 165. We all survived and it was good as always. I did notice there was less salt in it this year and that's good!

[brush]

3. I remember when everyone used to stuff the turkey and that dressing was always...

a little tastier than the rest.

[KT2000]

8. the turkety juices permeate

the stuffing. I made extra in a casserole dish that was good but not like the bird stuffing. I actually conferred with my guests as to whether we should take the risk. Everyone agreed.
I have to admit my gravy was not the best this year. It's always something.

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. Followed to the letter, the Turkey Gravy recipe from "The Joy of Cooking" is absolutely superb

Giblet Gravy

From the Joy of Cooking® app.

If increasing this recipe by half or doubling it, you may need to buy extra giblets.

Rinse and pat dry:

1 turkey neck
1 heart

and

1 gizzard

Chop the neck into 2-inch pieces. Cut the heart lengthwise in half, and divide the gizzard at the lobes. Heat in a wide heavy saucepan over medium heat:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Add the turkey parts to the pan, then scatter around them:

½ to 1 cup chopped onions

Cook, without stirring, until the turkey parts are richly browned on the first side, 5 to 10 minutes; reduce the heat slightly if the ingredients begin to burn. Turn and brown the second side in the same manner. Add:

4 cups chicken or turkey stock or broth
½ cup dry white or red wine
(¼ cup finely chopped carrots)
(¼ cup finely chopped celery)
(2 small sprigs parsley)
1 large bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
(4 whole cloves or allspice berries or pinch of ground cloves or allspice)

Partially cover the pan and simmer very slowly until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Add and simmer until firm, about 5 minutes:

(1 turkey liver, rinsed)

Strain the stock through a fine sieve and add enough water to measure 4 cups. Finely chop the neck meat, cut the giblets into tiny dice, and add to the stock. Discard the vegetables. Heat in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute:

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Remove the pan from the heat. For an especially silky gravy, transfer the stock to a saucepan and bring it to a furious boil, then pour it all at once into the roux, whisking as you pour. Otherwise, simply whisk the warm stock into the roux, blending thoroughly. Whisking constantly, bring the gravy to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cover. If you will be finishing and serving the gravy within 30 minutes to 1 hour, let it stand at room temperature; otherwise, refrigerate it.

When the turkey is done, transfer it to a platter and keep warm. Remove the rack from the roasting pan. If the juices have evaporated, leaving only fat and browned bits on the bottom of the pan, carefully pour out the fat and discard it, retaining all browned bits. If there are juices, tilt the pan and skim off as much fat as possible with a spoon. Set the pan on two burners over medium heat. Pour in:

½ cup sherry, Madeira, port, dry white wine, or water

Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Pour the drippings into the gravy. Place the gravy over medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with:

Salt and black pepper to taste

Pour into a gravy boat.

Bold portion is my doing, but this is an important step.

[asiliveandbreathe]

21. I know this recipe...Dad did a lot of the cooking and I remember the gizzards, a part of

both the gravy and stuffing...and using the stock from boiling....I spent from 7:30a to about 3pm - 4pm sit down...Thursday..loved every minute..gizzards and all.....

[brush]

27. Man, that sounds good. You have to be a serious cook, which I'm not.

[A HERETIC I AM]

48. Naaaah....Piece of cake!

OK...here's a really simple way to make a gravy out of almost anything - a "Sauce Veloute'"

The key, as is with the recipe above, making a roux and adding the stock. You can make the stock out of almost anything you are having, from fish and shellfish to any kind of meat. (Edited to add that making a stock of any kind doesn't have to be a long process, either. A simple stock can be made in the same length of time it takes to make rice. 20 minutes.)

The important thing here is the technique, more than the ingredients.

I made one a few weeks ago with a shrimp stock. I bought fresh shrimp, took the shells off and boiled the shells with salt, pepper, a little chopped onion, some Old Bay seasoning and whatever else struck my fancy. Strain it through a fine sieve, make the roux, add the stock and there you go! Very simple and delicious. If you want it thicker, just add less stock or make more roux. You aren't talking $20 worth of ingredients, so if you make a mistake, it's no biggie.

[Blue_true]

61. You have to be patient. You won't get it 100% perfect the first time, but you learn.

It is like riding a bike. Once you know the basics, it's hard to mess up.

When I do gravies and sauces, I spend a lot of time getting the roux just right (should be smooth and free of any lumps and flow easily. Once I have the roux right, I add it to the gravy pot, stirring the pot as I add. I am making a sauce right now (Saturday stuff).

[Lisa0825]

57. I do mine similar, but reversed...

Instead of pouring the browned bits/drippings into the gravy, I make the gravy in the pan with the drippings, adding the stock (which I made in a very similar way), and then thickening it all together.

Then I stir in finely diced giblets and livers, and some of the little pieces of meat off the neck to finish.

Never fails

[Pisces]

74. Saving for next year

[Retrograde]

24. I do the same

The stuffing in the separate dish went untouched, the stuffing that was in the bird was all gone by the end of dinner (darn - I wanted some leftovers).

There was still some clinging to the bones when the carcass went into the stock pot, but I'm a strong believer in the ability of boiling and then simmering for several hours to kill any remaining pathogens.

[appleannie1943]

77. The stuffing soaks up some of the juices that usually go into the gravy.

I ate stuffing cooked in the turkey for over 65 years. It is when you let it stay inside the turkey and don't take it out and refrigerate it and the turkey in different containers as soon as dinner is over that you can run into trouble. I started cooking them apart just a couple years ago. I did that so I did not have to get up in the dark and stuff a bird instead of sleep to a decent hour. It is a concession to my age. I put the neck and gizzard and tail on top of the stuffing to give it the turkey flavor and then remove it before serving.

[lillypaddle]

15. My DIL roasted the turkey

I brought the stuffing & gravy. I put the stuffing in a big roasting pan and then placed 4 big turkey thighs on the top to get that moist, turkey goodness with the drippings. Worked out pretty well.

[brush]

30. Oh, never thought of that. I'll file that idea away if you don't mind.

[lillypaddle]

71. See my reply to #37 nt

[badhair77]

37. That's an excellent idea. I'm trying that soon.

[lillypaddle]

70. Give the thighs a headstart in the roaster

Then take them out, put the stuffing in, and put the thighs back on top. Otherwise, the thighs don't cook all the way and I worry about the drippings not being clear.

[badhair77]

75. Thanks for the advice!

I’m anxious to try it.

[Arkansas Granny]

31. We always stuff the bird. When the turkey comes out of the oven, we

remove the stuffing to a casserole and bake it with the rest of the side dishes while the turkey rests before carving. That way we know it's fully cooked and has the additional flavor and moisture from roasting with the bird.

[Ohiogal]

33. I have been cooking the stuffing inside the bird

and cooking till 165 degrees for over 30 years ... Tastes the best, and no one has keeled over yet.

[NoSmoke]

60. I warm the stuffing in the microwave

just before stuffing the turkey and sticking it right away into the oven (at 325 F). The key to safe stuffing is measuring it's temperature before removing the turkey from the oven - use a meat thermometer, make sure the tip of the probe is thru to the stuffing and wait until its at least 165 F. You can measure at more than one location to be sure.

And, don't spare the poultry seasoning - that's one key to good stiffing. Also, use at least semi-dry bread chunks - too moist bread will turn out soggy and will not absorb the turkey juices.

And, use aluminum foil to cover the legs and wings, and to make a "tent" over the breast. Remove when the turkey is about 1/2 hour from done. That will help keep the meat moist while allowing for the skin to brown.

[TeamPooka]

4. Our stuffing was magnificent! Best part of the meal.

[LakeSuperiorView]

6. My stuffing turned out much too sweet.

I use an Apple Maple butter to baste the turkey and the stuffing was way too sweet this time. Don't know why, maybe the sugar content of the apple cider and/or maple syrup was higher than normal.

I stuff the neck cavity and under the skin of the breast. Not in the body cavity, that gets some carrot, celery and onion, but remains open to let heat travel. The stuffing under the skin insulates and slows down the white meat, allowing the dark meat extra time to get up to temp.

Any way, I only have myself to blame...

[brush]

18. I haven't heard of that. How do you stuff underneath the breast skin?

[dhol82]

43. Just stick your fingers between the skin and breast

You keep on sweeping back and forth to loosen the skin.
Then stuff.

[brush]

51. Okay, a good pro tip.

[dhol82]

55. You can also smear some butter in there

Also pop in Onion slices, orange slices, herbs. Anything you might want.
It’s fun to see what it ends up tasting like.

[marlakay]

7. Yes last few years we have been

Eating out because my mom is in her 90's don't want her to drive and her tiny apt too small to cook or have 7 people in we all drive there (Sacramento)

Some of the restaurants we have tried better than others. Best was in old town.

This year wanted to try a smaller place so went to Italian bistro with turkey dinner special. Dressing was not the best not even close and one of my fav things.

Thinking about rent Airbnb house next year and cooking.

[Brother Buzz]

9. When we ditched stuffing in the sixties, the quality of the turkey went up exponentially

Now, the dressing is another matter; after experimenting for over forty years, dressing is best baked in a large covered ceramic casserole dish.

[nolabear]

13. Damn skippy. Dressing (cornbread) is the only way.

[Brother Buzz]

19. I guess it's a cultural/regional thing

Our dressing is one of those five generation things that traveled from Maine to California in the 1860's, and involves day old (stale) bread.

That being said, I'm amendable to trying cornbread dressing.

[nolabear]

22. Absolutely. I like bread dressing too but not as much.

If you get really brave, try putting oysters in it. Heavenly!

[Brother Buzz]

40. Back in the day, there was a small casserole dish of oyster dressing...

for the adults. It was good, but it got dropped from the menu, along with the green bean casserole.

For what it's worth, I'm eating the last of our Thanksgiving dressing as I type.

[nolabear]

66. Ah well. Here's to next year! 🥂

[not_the_one]

65. the best dressing I ever had was in New Orleans

at April Lynne's, overlooking Bourbon Street.

It was excellent, but it also had super small SHRIMP in it!

Delicious.

Even better than my mom's.... (back in the day). She would use stale bread, toast, sometimes cornbread muffins, all the giblets, boiled eggs, and stock she made herself, maybe some celery.

I really wish I had written down the recipe.

[nolabear]

67. Right? Boiled eggs! I've never had it with shrimp though.

I just might try that next year!

[JustAnotherGen]

72. Amen!

It might be a Southern thing. I'm not, but raised on the food. I do a casserole dish for my husband of Yankee bread cube stuffing.

[smirkymonkey]

17. I'm with you! I hate soggy-in-the-bird-stuffing. Which means you have to cook the turkey longer.

My family always makes a little side covered ceramic casserole dish of stuffing for me just baked in the oven because I like it dry and crispy, however my SIL's mother made it and it was WAY too salty this year.

[janterry]

10. My 16 year old made vegetarian stuffing

from scratch. It was really good

[machoneman]

11. Mine was great. Did you make it yourself? n/m

n/m

[nolabear]

12. I make cornbread dressing, and it's magnificent.

I never stuff a bird. Just some oranges and apples for moisture. Like a good Southerner I make cornbread dressing that makes life worth living.

[brush]

20. Yes, cornbread stuffing is the way to go. Yummy.

[Retrograde]

29. I'm a convert to cornbread stuffing

Mr. Retrograde is from Alabama and insists on cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving. I make the cornbread several days in advance so it has time to get a bit stale, then on the morning he cooks it up with sage, celery, and onions (and enough butter to choke a rhino).

[nolabear]

36. Yep. It's not for every day for sure! Rich as all get-out.

But oh, those holidays. 🥰

[Arkansas Granny]

45. I use half cornbread and half French bread. I add sage and thyme to my cornbread

so I have a jumpstart on seasonings for the stuffing/dressing.

[brush]

62. Huh? First time I heard of that combination. It turns out good?

[Arkansas Granny]

69. I've made it that way for 50+ years and my family loves it.

[asiliveandbreathe]

16. Been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for fifty years...there is only one turkey and

that is a Butterball - 12-14lbs..always stuffed and always will Bells Ready Mix Stuffing Mix....that you can readily get in New England..AZ not so much..so family sends me stuffing every year - or I just order a box of twelve at an online site.....

This stuffing is the BEST...easy and made in Weymouth MA....

[brush]

23. Made in New England, huh? Must be good if you order from across the country.

[asiliveandbreathe]

28. Hubby has spoken...there will be NO turkey without Bells stuffing - so let it be said

let it done....

[brush]

41. It's called Bell's Stuffing Mix? Might have to try it since it can be ordered online.

[asiliveandbreathe]

47. Bells Ready Mix Stuffing..here is one of many links..

https://www.famousfoods.com/berest16oz2p.html

Generations of Bostonians and New Englanders have trusted Bell’s to complete their Thanksgiving dinners. - In the description - EVEN!!!

[brush]

50. Thank you. I will try it.

[Green Line]

26. Bells is the best

I've made my own, tried other mixes, but always come back to Bells, it never fails to be great, I do it in a side dish, not in the Turkey.

[Grasswire2]

82. You can buy Bell's Poultry Seasoning. Little paper box with a turkey on it.

Very colorful image that my Connecticut grandmother imprinted on my memory.

Still available, even here in the PNW.

[planetc]

25. Apples, celery, sausage sometimes---

My mother used them all, and her stuffing was always superb. Not that she could have written a recipe down, of course, the skill was some sort of muscle memory. "First you cut up some of these, then those, then some sage, cook the sausage if you have it." She called her method "by guess and by gosh." It worked.

[Arkansas Granny]

39. I tell people I don't have a recipe, just a list of ingredients.

[planetc]

78. Exactly. And my best meatloaf recipe ...

happened when I didn't have any bread crumbs except raisin bread. So I tossed them in, raisins and all. Now I deliberately add raisins. No fear cooking!

[DiverDave]

32. I had a can of

Turkey chili.
Bought it special for t-day.

[aikoaiko]

34. The war on stuffing is real. I am the resistance.

[brush]

42. Man, that turkey looks great.

[Arkansas Granny]

35. Our stuffing is always flavorful. We don't use any raw eggs or meats,

so we can taste for seasonings before we stuff the bird. Its a pretty simple basic recipe, but everyone loves it.

[cwydro]

38. I make my own. I'm very picky.

It was yummy

[Blue_true]

44. Next time stand on the table and yell out loud "this stuffing sucks".

Works every time, Trump promise that.

[milestogo]

46. Is this a methaphor?

[Squinch]

76. .

[shanti]

49. Actually, it was pretty good

I used artisan bread dressing (focaccia) prepackaged, and utilized my crock pot to make it. I like it extra moist. It called for 3/4 cup of butter, but I added 1 cup, plus the usual ingredients (celery, onion, mushrooms). I also added a little extra sage. Hour and a half in the crockpot on high and done! Easy peasy.

[brush]

56. Okay. That sounds doable even for me.

[samnsara]

52. yeah we do stove top and try to add stuff in it.. this year it was cranraisens

[brush]

58. How did the cranraisens work out?

[elleng]

53. Yes, was horrible,

as were the other 'sides.' (DON'T tell I said this, please! Was glad to have been invited!)

[Doodley]

54. My wife says she enjoys a good stuffing.

[brush]

59. Oh man, I do believe this conversation is getting to be "after 5:00."

[DinahMoeHum]

63. My family doesn't do stuffing. We do dressing. . .

. . .whereas we bake the stuffing ingredients in a casserole.

We basically rub salt and seasonings on our bird, and strew a few veggies in the cavity. But we don't stuff the bird.

[Croney]

64. I have a cornbread dressing story.

My mother had a secret recipe and it was absolutely delicious. Everybody raved about it. For fifty years nobody knew the secret ingredient. (She's 95 now.)

After she became hard-of-hearing, I hid one year and watched her make the dressing. The secret ingredient was saliva. After every step, she tasted. With the same spoon. A dozen times.

I never touched it again. Always made some excuse. Just couldn't do it.

[LAS14]

68. You have to keep alert to keep the old traditions.

Our family has relied on straight Pepperidge Farm Herbal stuffing for decades. A few years ago I noticed it was not as rich and tasty. Then I realized that the butter in the recipe had been cut from 1 stick to 5 T. I'm back to one decadent stick. Also, I'm sure the salt content had dropped. But now they're recommending chicken boullon instead of water. That keeps the salt content on the ingredients list low, but the boullon changes the flavor. So I've made a note next year to stick with water and add a little salt.

[ellie]

73. Yes, I was

I tried a different brand and it wasn't as good as usual.

[ArnoldLayne]

79. No I like StoveTop Dressing with some Turkey juice

mixed in with it.

[qazplm135]

80. I didn't feel like it was progressive enough

I mean sure it was for medicare for all, but...

[brush]

81. Heehee! I love a good political dressing too.

[JudyM]

83. Locking.

Good topic for the Lounge, though.