Dads Famous Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

MY DAD'S ITALIAN-AMERICAN TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook the vegetables: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of the butter. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, over medium heat, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the contents to a bowl. Set aside.
• Toast and season the bread: Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until light brown. Alternatively, brown them in a toaster. While the bread is still hot, lightly butter both sides of each piece with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cut into 1-inch squares and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with salt, pepper, the thyme, sage and rosemary. Mix to blend. Set aside.
• Cook the turkey innards and pepperoni: Heat a tablespoon of the butter and, in a large skillet, quickly saute the heart and gizzard pieces, 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add it to the bowl of celery and onions. Stir to blend. In the same large skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter and saute the pepperoni pieces over high heat until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
• Make the mix: Combine the celery and onion mixture, the cooked breakfast sausage, the mozzarella and the pepperoni in the bowl containing the toasted bread. Mix to blend and add the cup of chicken stock to moisten all of the ingredients.
• Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until golden brown, about 20 more minutes.

DAD'S FAMOUS STUFFIES

Steps:

• Add 2 in. water to a stockpot. Add clams and chourico; bring to a boil. Cover and steam 15-20 minutes or until clams open., Remove clams and sausage from pot, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid; cool slightly. Discard any unopened clams., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove clam meat from shells. Separate shells; reserve 30 half-shells for stuffing. Place clam meat in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl., Remove casings from sausage; cut sausage into 1-1/2-in. pieces. Place in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add sausage, onion and seafood seasoning to chopped clams. Stir in stuffing cubes. Add reserved cooking liquid and enough water to reach desired moistness, about 1 cup., Spoon clam mixture into reserved shells. Place in 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Preheat broiler., Broil clams 4-6 in. from heat 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, serve with lemon wedges and pepper sauce. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked stuffed clams in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan until firm. Transfer to freezer containers; return to freezer. To use, place 3 stuffed clams on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on high until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Serve as directed.

DAD'S FAMOUS THANKSGIVING STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large pot brown sausage then remove from pot.
• Add butter to the pot and melt, add onion, celery and sauté for about 5 minute All remaining ingredients including sausage and mix together adding enough liquids to moisten.
• Stuff turkey neck cavity and body loosely. and use skewers and string to close.
• Put remaining stuffing into a buttered casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

DAD'S WONDERFUL SAUSAGE TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• In large pan (dutch oven) brown sausage, scrambling while browning until sausage is in small pieces.
• Do not drain!
• Add onion, celery, butter, poultry seasoning, chicken livers, giblets, turkey neck bone, and water.
• Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
• Remove livers, giblets, and neck bone.
• Discard neck bone, chop livers and giblets into small pieces and return to stock.
• Put Croutettes into large bowl.
• Add stock with meat and vegetables until all croutons are well moistened.
• You will use most if not all of the stock, as you want the croutettes to be very moist.
• Stuff turkey, and put remainder of stuffing into 2 quart casserole dish.
• Bake as directed for turkey, casserole will need 40 minutes at 350 F degrees.