dress up your dressings

I think stuffing is probably my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. 

I grew up with the traditional type; carrots, celery, that country homestyle flavor right out of the bird. But over the years as my passion for cooking has grown and with every cooking magazine or blog I read- I find that there are so many more recipes that I want to try.

 Don't get me wrong I looove my Mom's stuffing.

But I want to try some new ideas and new flavors- sweet, savory, spicy.. 

These are three that I am most interested in recreating.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

• Cornbread 
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal 
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour 
• 3/4 cup buttermilk 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Stuffing
• 7 slices oven-dried white bread 
• 1 sleeve crackers (recommended: Saltine) 
• 8 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cups chopped celery 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 7 cups chicken stock 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon sage, optional 
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, optional 
• 5 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Cornbread:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

New England Sausage, Apple Cranberry Stuffing

• 14 ounces white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large leeks)
• 1 pound tart green apples, peeled, cored, chopped
• 2 cups chopped celery with leaves
• 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 eggs, beaten to blend
• 1 1/3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Sauté sausages in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off any drippings from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to skillet; sauté until leeks soften, about 8 minutes. Mix in dried cranberries and rosemary. Add mixture to sausage, then mix in bread and parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix eggs into stuffing.

TO bake stuffing in turkey:
Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

To bake all stuffing in pan:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/3 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Bulgur Stuffing with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Directions

• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (about 2 cups)
• 1 ounce dried morel mushrooms (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups bulgur (preferably coarse)
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves

In a bowl pour boiling water over mushrooms and soak 30 minutes. In a 4-quart saucepan sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in bulgur and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes.

Trim and quarter Brussels sprouts. In a large non-stick skillet heat remaining 6 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté Brussels sprouts, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove mushrooms from water, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit and coarsely chop. Line a sieve set over a bowl with a dampened paper towel or coffee filter and strain reserved soaking liquid into bowl. Chop parsley.

In a large bowl toss together bulgur mixture, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, 1/2 cup strained soaking liquid, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and cool completely. Stuffing may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.

source 1, 2, 3.