Stuffing Helper

I'm not a huge fan of stuffing, but got a box of it for cheap before I knew for sure if I'd be having Thanksgiving at home.  At the least, I could have it with the chicken I picked up that day.

I'm the sort of person who makes boxed food exactly according to the instructions on the package.  It was a bit mind-blowing to learn that you could doctor up something out of a can or box and it would taste ok.  I still haven't done any of the cake mix ideas, mainly because I don't use mixes anymore.

This one started with needing to trim down the celery again.  Even post trim (photo), it's still huge and borderline an invasive species.  As long as I was at it, might as well cook up some onion.  Then I started wondering if anything in the liquor cabinet could add to the flavor profile.  In the end, maybe half of the volume is what came out of the box and it made twice the number of servings as mix alone.

This recipe is by no means an end-all definitive doctoring of stuffing mix.  It's designed to get you out of your comfort zone and make someone else's idea your own.  Got fennel?  I didn't, but it would be wonderful here.  I threw in diced carrots because there were going to be mushrooms in the green bean casserole and I didn't want to duplicate.  You could be fancy and add chopped frozen artichokes.  Leafy greens are acceptable.  Drain a can of corn.  I considered asparagus, but the flavor is too strong and would overwhelm everything else.  I added walnuts, but pistachios, almonds, and pecans could all be equally enhancing.  Browned sausage or pre-cooked beans turn this into a one-pot meal.

So what is the advantage of doctoring up a mix to making your own stuffing?  It does still save time.  You don't have to pre-cut and dry out your bread.  All of the seasonings are stirred in for you.  It does take about 10 minutes longer because you have to chop and cook the veggies.  But 10 minutes longer than boiling water and letting the mix steep for 5 minutes isn't that big of a deal.  Aside from the absurd amount of salt in the box, everyone will think you made it entirely from scratch.

*1 6 oz box turkey or chicken stuffing mix
2 C diced onion
*2 C diced celery
1 C diced carrots
2 Tb oil or butter
1-1/2 C water
*2 Tb gin (optional)
*1/2 C chopped walnuts
other chopped vegetables, sausage, beans, etc as desired

1.  If using sausage or another ground meat, brown in a large saucepan.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Melt butter or heat oil in the large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, celery, carrots, and any other harder vegetable you might be using.  Cook to soften, stirring frequently.  This will take about 10 minutes.  If the heat is too high, the onion will brown instead of softening.

3.  If using, add gin at this point and let it boil off.  Add walnuts and any leafy greens and cook until wilted, 2 minutes.  Add any meat, beans, or other mix-ins and cook until heated through.

4.  Stir in stuffing mix, including a seasoning packet if it has one.  Add water, remove from heat, and cover.  Let sit 5-8 minutes, until liquid is fully absorbed.  Fluff, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8-12

Difficulty rating  π