Well, last night I had a mad craving for a game hen and the dish that is really one of my all-time favorite accompaniments to any baked poultry – dressing. You know, the side dish that used to be called stuffing until placing the flavored bread cubes in the cavity of a turkey or chicken became scary. (The safety concerns have to do with salmonella and other bacteria, which can come from eggs in the stuffing or from the interior surface of the turkey’s cavity. If the bird is removed from the oven before the stuffing reaches 165-degrees, some of the bacteria could remain alive and make people ill.) Anyway, whatever you want to call this caloric dish, I wanted some. But not being a fan of boxed stuffing mixes, I decided to make my own stove top dressing.

I used whole wheat bread last evening in the dressing because that’s what I had on hand. Tasted great! But I think any type of bread would work in this recipe.

Now, something you should know. I do not like wimpy tasting dressings. I want lots of flavor. So, if you like a mellow flavored dressing, you might want to cut back on the herbs a bit. But if you want a mouth full of flavor with every bite, then add the herbs as listed below.

Well, that’s it for today. I’m busy getting ready for our next JazzVox home concert. So, today I baked the chocolate cake for the base of the Black Forest Cake I plan to serve on Sunday. It’s busy cooling right now. So, before I lovingly wrap the cooled cake in preparation for placing it in the freezer, I decided to take this opportunity to share this recipe with you. I hope you enjoy it.

And just so you know, I miss stuffing. When seasoned wet bread is stuffed into a bird, it comes out moister and more flavorful than when it is placed in a casserole dish and baked. Not to mention how much fun it is to single handedly push wet bread into the cavity of a slippery bird. Ah, those were the days my friends. Those were the days!  

Peace and love to all.   

6-7 slices bread, (whole wheat, sourdough, etc.) cut into 1/3-inch cubes

3 T. unsalted butter

¼ lg. white or yellow onion, finely chopped

¾ c. chopped celery, (stalks and leaves)

4-5 lg. mushrooms, chopped

1 T. finely chopped fresh parsley

½ tsp. finely chopped fresh sage

½ tsp. poultry seasoning, or more to taste

1/8 tsp. dried thyme

tiny pinch savory, either powdered or dried leaves

tiny pinch dried marjoram

scant ¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

1 c. chicken stock, or more as needed

Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a pre-heated 150-degree oven for about 90 minutes or until dry and hard. Remove from oven and set aside.  

Meanwhile, in a covered pan, melt the butter and add the onion and celery. Cook until the onion and celery are both tender. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are brown.

Add the parsley, sage, poultry seasoning, thyme, savory, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg and chicken stock together.

Add to the pan and stir until hot. Gently stir in the dry bread cubes, adding additional chicken stock if needed to moisten the bread. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff and serve immediately.