Recipe of the Week: Mom's Thanksgiving Dressing

     This is my mom's recipe for dressing (stuffing) for stuffing your turkey (or chicken), which I have made many, many times.  I love it!  I'd rather pass on the turkey and have more of this dressing!  It is the moist variety, and very easy to make.  I love the taste of dressing which is roasted in the bird, but I'm also going to include a recipe for Crockpot Dressing. Some people have successfully used a different method for their Thanksgiving turkey, in which they make the turkey the day ahead, take it off the bone, and then reheat the carved meat, covered in broth, in an electric roaster on the Big Day.  This Crockpot Dressing might be perfect if you do the turkey this way.

Anyway!  Here is the Recipe for my
Mom's Dressing
1 cup minced onion
1 quart (4 cups) diced celery
1 cup butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
4 qts. firmly cubed bread
(or I use a package of Pepperidge Farm I think it is seasoned cubed bread)
1-1/2 cups broth or water (I have used bouillon cubes mixed with the 1-1/2 cups water)
Directions:
   Cook onion and celery in butter in a large frying pan on the stove until the onion's soft but not brown.  Blend seasonings with the bread cubes in a Large bowl.  Add onion mix to bread mixture.  Toss ingredients. Pour the broth over, tossing lightly.  I usually make an 11-13 lb. turkey and I always have extra dressing after stuffing the bird, so I put the extra into a dish and bake it separately. You can make this dressing the night before, which is nice, and stuff the turkey the next day, but as soon as you have stuffed the turkey, roast it immediately, otherwise food poisoning can occur:).
   I hope you will try this recipe, as it is very easy, and always turns out beautifully!
Enjoy!

OK, now for the
Crockpot Dressing
1 cup butter
2 cups onion
2 cups celery
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
2 cups mushrooms
12-13 cups bread cubes
3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. marjoram
2 eggs, well beaten
Directions:
   If using seasoned stuffing mix omit herbs and salt.  Saute veggies in butter, pour over bread, moisten with broth.  Add eggs, mix well.  Pack lightly into crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes.  Then reduce to low and cook for an additional 4-8 hours.