My Family's Meat Stuffing for a Turkey

Nana Lee's Note:

This is a meat stuffing my family has used all my life and before. This was given to my mother by her mother, and I imagine, her mother. Our whole family used this recipe. My daughter makes this stuffing as well, and now my granddaughters have the recipe so they will eventually use it. It is a very tasty stuffing so we make "tons" of it to freeze or use over the holidays. It's good on toast with gravy as a hot open sandwich. Or with turkey slices and gravy as a leftovers meal. You can make it a day or so ahead, but you must bring it to room temp if you are going to stuff your bird with it. ETA: I have always made the stuffing and put it into the turkey HOT. That way there is no problems with the turkey being overdone to make sure the stuffing is heated through. IN RESPONSE THE THE REVIEW DATED NOV 20 2007 ---- I appreciate your FYI, however, I have been making my turkey just this way for over 40 years, and have yet to lose a family member or friend. I have eaten it this way from "birth" since this recipe and method has been used by my mother and my grandmother before her.

• Total Time: 1440 hrs
• Prep Time: 1440 hrs
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 2 ½ lbs ground beef , your choice of cut
• 1 lb ground pork , I use Jones Sausage Roll*
• 1 cup large dice celery
• 1 cup large dice onion
• 6 -12 ounces pepperidge farm onion and garlic croutons
• 1 lb butter , you may not need it all
• poultry seasoning
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. First, have a very large bowl or pot close to stove top so you can put ingredients in as they are cooked.
2. Second, you need a good sized fry pan, preferabley with deep, straight sides.
3. Third, a good pair of tongs and spoonula.
4. Fourth, are the ingredients. These are estimations, I don't really measure.
5. Fifth, you might want to do the prep ahead so as to be able to cook and stuff all at once. Or not!
6. *you could use just ground pork but the sausage gives a better taste.
7. Heat fry pan and oil lightly with a pat of butter.
8. Fry 1/2 the beef and 1/2 the sausage together. Make sure to break it all up and mix it well until all is cooked. Dump it all into the pot/bowl you have waiting. Juices and all.
9. Do the same to the rest of the beef and sausage. Mix thoroughly.
10. Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbs) butter in fry pan and saute the celery until almost cooked. Dump it all into the pot/bowl and mix thoroughly.
11. Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbs) butter in fry pan and saute the onion until wilted, but not brown. Dump all into the pot/bowl and mix thoroughly.
12. Add seasonings at this point. Use the amount that is to your liking. Mix very well.
13. If it seems too dry at this point, melt more butter in the fry pan and add to the mix.
14. Finally, add the 1 box of croutons and mix several times over the next 15-20 minutes.
15. There should be little or no liquid in the bottom of the pot/bowl after this time. The croutons should have absorbed it. If not, add more croutons and repeat.
16. Now you can either put the stuffing in a casserole dish, roaster or other baking pan , and cook separately from the turkey.
17. I stuff my turkey, both neck and cavity immediately, while the stuffing is hot, and put it into the oven to roast. The extra stuffing goes in a separate pan to cook along side the turkey.
18. If you use a spearate casserole to do cook the stuffing, you may want to use some pan drippings to mix into the casserole and give it more flavor.
19. With this we serve mashed potatoes, peas, my special turnip/carrot mash, cranberry sauce, and Polish rye or sisal bread. Of course, the gravy, too!

Reviews

[doondog]

Excepting the pork and brand names, this recipe mirrors a stuffing recipe passed through several generations of our family. The turkey has always been stuffed immediately after preparation and placed directly into the oven. Thus far the only ill effects we have noticed after consumption of this delicious turkey stuffing are multiple men sleeping on couches;-)

[Chef #709527]

I made this stuffing as posted and I think next time I will use the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix instead. I didn't like the texture and taste of the croutons. I agree with the previous post about not putting hot stuffing into a cold turkey. Thanks for sharing that tidbit Linda.

[Lv2Eat]

OMG... For all those people who don't like stuffing, here is one that will change you forever. It was worth the time to follow step by step... I used Jimmy Dean sausage and added mild Italian Sausage. Can you say "Delicious?"