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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
It's time to talk turkeyThere are flocks of folks who feel that the best part about Thanksgiving is the stuffing. I may be one of them. Stuffings are purely the stuff (sorry about that) of imagination. The sky is the limit. That big bird is willing to accept whatever your tastebuds lead you to. I, personally, have no problem with placing the stuffing inside old Tom himself and basting any extra stuffing that is baking in a casserole with some of the pan juices. Minnesota Wild Rice Stuffing Made with corn and chiles this could well be a native American idea. 2 cups wild rice
Bring 5 cups water to a boil; add rice and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover; reduce heat. Cook rice until barely tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Not all of the water will be absorbed; drain well. Heat oil in skillet until hot but not smoking. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring until soft. Add chiles; cook 30 seconds. Stir onion mixture, corn, pepper and lime juice into rice; season with salt. Serve immediately or pack loosely in turkey cavity and cook until turkey is done. Makes enough for 18 pound turkey. Squash Stuffing with Hazelnuts and Bourbon This recipe calls for 3 different kinds of squash but can be made using any one of them. Adjust to be sure you have about the same quantity. 1 large spaghetti squash
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Quarter all squash, scrape out the seeds and fibers and divide between 2 large roasting pans. Add 1 inch of water to each pan. Cover with foil and bake until soft, about 1 hour. Let cool. Meanwhile, warm bourbon in saucepan, add currants and set aside. Scoop flesh from butternut and acorn squash and puree in a food processor until smooth. Scrape into bowl. Scrape out spaghetti squash and mix with puree. Stir in currants with liquid, hazelnuts, bread crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper. Fill the cavity loosely with stuffing; place remaining stuffing in a casserole. Roast the bird and bake the leftover stuffing, covered, for about 30 minutes, before serving. Makes 10 cups. Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing Make cornbread from a mix to save time and use canned chicken broth. 1 pound hot Italian sausage, thinly sliced
Cook sausage, breaking it up with spoon as it cooks. Set aside. Heat olive oil in another skillet, add garlic and onion and sauté 2 minutes. Add red peppers and sauté just until tender. Combine corn bread crumbs, sausage and onion mixtures. Toss in scallions, salt and pepper. Stir in the beer. Fill bird loosely with stuffing; place any remaining stuffing in a casserole and moisten with chicken broth. Bake extra stuffing, covered for about 30 minutes. Makes 12 cups. Vegetarian Dressing with Apples, Mushrooms, Walnuts Great for both vegetarians and turkey lovers. A crunchy topping with moist underneath makes this perfect for baking in a loaf pan or soufflé dish. 1 ounce dried mushrooms
Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter large casserole. Soak dried mushrooms in the boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, reserving liquid and squeeze additional liquid out of the mushrooms. Chop mushrooms and set aside with soaking liquid. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet. Add onion and celery and cook until softened; transfer to bowl. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet. Add fresh mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add to apple mixture. Toss to combine and season. Combine all ingredients including dried mushrooms, walnuts and mushroom liquid, 1 cup at a time. Then gradually add vegetable broth, until dressing is very moist but not soggy. Bake in prepared dish, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, until top is brown and crispy and dressing is heated through. Makes 10 to 12 servings. Beverly G. Barbour-Soules
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