food network magazine presented a variety of dressing recipes in their November 2009 issue. i decreased the quantity of ingredients to make this stuffing dish smaller for our family. most of their recipes use up to 16 cups of toasted bread cubes. i used only one bag of classic stuffing mix for my recipe.
this recipe could be also used to stuff a 10-12 pound turkey. for this thanksgiving, i baked my dressing in a separate casserole dish. if using as a stuffing, it would be important not to add too much chicken broth, or the stuffing will be too juicy and wet after baking.
to make the dressing:
in a saute pan, add about 2-3 tablespoons canola oil and warm. add one chopped white onion, a couple of carrots, 2 stalks celery, salt, ground pepper, and thyme. cook for five minutes to warm and soften all these ingredients.
add two diced bosc pears and saute for two or three more minutes. next, add 1/4 cup bourbon and simmer for two more minutes. then add 2 to 2 1/2 cups warm chicken broth. return to a simmer and cook for a few more minutes.
meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix 1-2 eggs with 1/4 chopped parsley. add 1 bag of prepared stuffing mix, and one cup chopped pecans. combine with the hot broth mixture.
toss the stuffing and spread in a buttered casserole baking dish. dot the top with margarine or butter pats. cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. remove the foil and bake for another 30 more minutes until done. serve with roasted chicken or turkey.
angel food garden 