Cherie’s Turkey & Homemade Stuffing

 

Stuffing Ingredients

¾ cup	Onion – chopped	1 teaspoon	Salt
1 ½ cup	Celery* – chopped(including stalks and leaves)	½ teaspoon	Pepper
1 cup	Butter – melted	½-1 cup	Chicken Broth
2-3 loaves	Bread – wheat, white	2 teaspoons	Poultry Seasoning

 

Turkey Ingredients

Turkey

1 Cube Butter

Poultry Seasoning

 

1 to 2 days before stuffing the turkey:

Cut bread loaves into small cubes (to make enough for 9-10 cups) and place in single layer on cookie sheets. Bake in preheated over 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 100 degrees Celsius for my friends in Europe and the outer most parts of the earth) until the cubes are crunchy hard (about an hour to an hour and a half). Stir the cubes around on the cookie sheet every 15 minutes so as not to burn them.  Set aside in a dry place until Turkey day.

 

Turkey Day:

Prepare the stuffing—Melt butter in saucepan and add chopped onion and celery. Cook over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in about 1/3 of the bread until coated with the butter, onion and celery mixture. Transfer into a large bowl and toss in the rest of the bread cubes, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. While tossing the stuffing mixture add chicken broth. I usually add just enough broth to moisten the mixture, but not enough to make it soggy. Set aside and prepare the turkey.

Prepare the turkey—Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). Rinse the turkey and pat it dry inside and out. Stuff the turkey with some of the stuffing mixture. Place remaining stuffing in baking dish and set aside. Melt butter and rub all over the turkey. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning. Cover with foil to keep the top of the turkey from burning. Cook 15 minutes per pound (about 30 minutes per kilo). I baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so with butter. Remove foil the last 30 minutes or so to bring the turkey to golden brown perfection.

To test for doneness—If the juices run clear when the thigh muscle is pierced deeply the bird is done. Reddish pink indicates that more cooking is needed.  Also, the leg of the turkey should move easily. For those who have a meat thermometer the turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 Celsius) in the thigh and 165 Fahrenheit (74 Celsius) in the center of the stuffing. Remove from the over and cover again with foil. Let stand 15-30 minutes before cutting.

Once you remove the turkey from the oven place the remaining stuffing in the over to heat.

Enjoy! I’m looking forward to your comments and don’t miss the recipe for love below! God bless!

*For my Bulgarian friends—see photo of the celery I use. It is not the same celery root that you use for many of your recipes. The type of celery I use is the most important ingredient for the favor of the stuffing to turn out correctly. We have found this type of celery at Hit, Kaufland and Metro.

Recipe for Love – Give Thanks!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. – Psalm 107:1