11/6/13

Bread Cubes for Stuffing



Hey there. You and I have been friends for a long time now. You know what to expect this time of year. Thanksgiving talk.
I'm going to start out the month with a post about making your own stuffing. Because I believe stuffing, not turkey, is the crown jewel of an amazing Thanksgiving feast. I purposely make huge batches so I can eat it for days after the celebration. If you are scratching your head and asking "what's wrong with instant stuffing out of a box?" We need to have the talk.
Yes, that talk.
Never, ever, use pre-made "just add water and serve" boxed stuffing.
Homemade. Your new mantra. Homemade. Homemade. Homemade.
Homemade= a new life.
Your new life starts with a simple task. Drying bread.
Every time you have extra bread sitting around the house and you know you aren't going to eat it all up before it gets stale, cube it and bake. Every time you have spare bread (Baguettes, French bread, Sandwich bread, rolls, Artisan bread) cut it up.
It's that simple.
Here are a couple of recipes I've posted in past years. The first is my mom's tried and true (for over 50 years) Apple and Sausage Stuffing. It's simple, delicious, and it's on our holiday table every year. If you are looking for a starter dressing, this is it.





The second recipe is a less traditional, but delicious Artisan Stuffing with big chunks of mushrooms, onions, Italian Sausage, cornbread, Artisan, French Bread and fresh herbs. It's fresh and fun and a nice addition to your traditional feast.




Today- instructions on how to prepare the bread for your home made stuffing. In a few days, I'll post a new stuffing recipe. If you have a favorite stuffing/dressing you'd like to share, post a link in the comments, we would all love to see what you're planning for the big day...




Bread Cubes for Stuffing
print recipe

Loaf of Artisan or French Bread or any other type of leftover bread or rolls
Olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Cube the bread, spread out onto a large cookie or baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Bake in 250 degree oven until bread is lightly toasted and completely dried out.
About 1-1 1/2 hours, depending on density of bread and oven.
Cool completely, bag until ready to use.

Tips:
-Also delicious as croutons.
-Save the crumbs as well to use in dressing.
-You may also up the temp on the oven to 300 and bake for about 30-40 minutes.

3 comments:

  1. Even I, Kimi Farley, would never use a boxed stuffing (at Thanksgiving)!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree, stuffing is the best part and homemade is a must! Looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete

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