Classic Poultry Stuffing

Stuffing for turkey or chicken that is made with white bread and seasoned with Bell's Seasoning goes back to the time of our grandmother's -- likely more than that.  I use ground pork in mine but it can left out if you wish, just increase the amount of diced veggies.  For health reasons I no longer cook the stuffing in the bird, so I guess technically it should be called dressing rather than stuffing.  The problem is that it is difficult to get the stuffing hot enough to kill the baddies without overcooking the bird.  Some people say that if the dressing is fully cooked prior to stuffing the bird this problem is avoided.  But while the bird is cooking the juices leach into the stuffing (that's what makes it so tasty) and may not fully cook before it's time for the bird to come out of the oven.

This recipe makes enough for a 14" x 10" baking pan, so adjust accordingly for a smaller one.

Cut the bread into ½" slices and lay them out on a large sheet pan (you will probably need two) and bake at 225 degrees for one half hour.  Cut the sliced bread into ½" to ¾" cubes and place in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients with enough room for tossing.

Brown the pork well while breaking into small pieces.  When almost done sprinkle the pork with a couple of teaspoons of the Bell seasoning and a little salt and pepper.  Add to the bread and toss.

In the same pan melt the butter and add the veggies.  Sauté until very tender, about 10 minutes.  About ½ way through sprinkle the veggies with a couple of teaspoons of the Bell seasoning and a little salt and pepper.  Add to the bread mixture and toss.

Sprinkle the remainder of the Bell seasoning to the veggie mixture (do this in stages, tasting while you go -- determine for yourself when the dressing is seasoned enough.)  Drizzle the broth into the bread mixture about 1 cup at a time.  The dressing should be very moist, but not soggy.  You'll need approximately 3 cups of broth.

At this point the dressing can be put aside until ready to bake -- it'll keep overnight if you want to make it the day before.

When ready to bake beat the eggs with the baking powder and fold into the dressing.  Cover the dressing with aluminum foil with the inside of the foil greased.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes of until the top is nicely browned.

Pig out!