Turkey Stuffing Recipe Variations

Turkey stuffing recipes can include fruit, chestnuts, and even oysters. Turkey makes the holiday table special and stuffing makes the turkey perfect.

Turkey Stuffing Hints

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a big turkey filled with stuffing sitting in the middle of the table. But how much stuffing do you need and should you cook the stuffing before you stuff it into the turkey?

If you are making a 20-pound turkey, enough to feed about 15 people, you should look for turkey stuffing recipes that make the same amount of servings. Don't worry about leftovers; if there are any, they will come in handy.

As far as cooking the stuffing first, you may want to. This ensures that the stuffing will be properly cooked when the turkey is done, but if you opt to stuff the turkey with uncooked stuffing, you will need to stuff the turkey very loosely and to add about a ½ cup of chicken or turkey broth to the stuffing before placing it in the bird. Since your turkey will not hold all the stuffing in the recipes below, place the remaining stuffing into a 9x13 baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes before serving.

I strongly advise that you get an instant read thermometer. You can use it to read the temperature of your turkey, but most importantly you will need it to read the temperature of the stuffing. You want the stuffing to be cooked to 165 degrees.

Turkey Stuffing Recipes

Most supermarkets carry a selection of pre-made broths and stocks. I suggest getting stock if it is available, but broth is just as good. Use turkey stock if possible, but these recipes were written to allow chicken stock as well.

Sourdough Bread and Oyster Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 pound loaf of sourdough, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 cups of fresh spinach (bagged type is good)
• ¼ stick of butter
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 celery stalks chopped fine
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 ounces of fresh oysters, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• ½ cup chicken stock

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Spread the bread cubes in an even level on two cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 15 minutes until the bread cubes are dry but not toasted.
4. Put the bread in a large bowl and add the spinach.
5. Melt half of the butter in a large pan and add the shallots, celery, and garlic.
6. Cook over a low flame until the shallots and celery are soft.
7. Stir the shallot mixture into the bread mixture.
8. Melt the remaining butter in a pan and add the chopped oysters and tarragon.
9. Saute the oysters for two minutes.
10. Mix the oysters into the bread mixture and taste for salt and pepper.
11. Mix in the beaten eggs.
12. Mix in the 1/3 cup chicken stock.
13. Fill the turkey loosely with the stuffing.
14. Mix the ½ cup of chicken stock into the remaining stuffing and place the stuffing in a baking dish, cover with foil.
15. Bake your turkey until done; be sure to test the temperature of the stuffing inside the turkey.
16. Bake the stuffing in the baking dish for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more.

Chestnut Stuffing with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds of crusty white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 stick butter
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 ½ pounds roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of chicken stock

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread the bread cubes out in an even layer on two cookie sheets.
3. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
4. Place the bread cubes into a large bowl.
5. Melt the butter in a pan.
6. Add the onions and sauté over a medium flame until golden brown.
7. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid.
8. Add the celery.
9. Sauté for another two minutes and then add the mixture to the bread cubes.
10. Mix in the chestnuts, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and nutmeg.
11. Taste for salt and pepper.
12. Mix ½ cup of chicken stock into the bread cube mixture.
13. Fill the turkey loosely.
14. Mix the remaining stuffing with ½ cup of chicken stock.
15. Place the stuffing into a baking dish and cover with foil.
16. Bake the stuffing that is in the pan for 45 minutes.
17. Bake the turkey until it is done, the stuffing should be no less than 165 degrees.