Ditch the Boxed Stuffing for One of These 35 WOW-Worthy Turkey Stuffing Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

How much stuffing per person? A 14-ounce bag of stuffing makes about 11 servings; a 6-ounce box of stuffing mix makes 6 servings.

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark. If the bird is done before the stuffing, remove stuffing from the cavities and continue to cook in a baking dish.

Opt for a turkey about 15 pounds in size that works best for this cooking technique. Onion, celery and carrot: These chopped vegetables are placed inside the cavity. These help to add flavor and also keep the turkey moist as they steam. Other vegetables you can use are squashes or peppers.

It's all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. I don't use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.

Stuff both the neck and body cavities of a completely thawed turkey, allowing ½ to ¾ cup of stuffing per pound. Don't pack stuffing too tightly, as it may cause uneven cooking. When preparing a whole turkey for the oven, return the legs to the original tucked position if they were untucked for stuffing.

3/4 cup of stuffing per person should be plenty.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

After turkey has roasted 45 minutes, place potatoes in top third of oven. Roast along with turkey until potatoes are tender, stirring potatoes occasionally, about 45 minutes.

What to stuff a turkey with for flavor? ›

Alliums: Add quartered onions, shallots, leeks, or garlic cloves for a delicious, earthy aroma. Fruits: Insert quarters of apple, lemon, orange, lime, or even grapefruit to add moisture and brightness to the turkey. You can even go with dried fruit, like cranberries, to double down on the autumn vibes.

An easy turkey tip: Peel and quarter an onion or two and nestle it into the cavity of your turkey. Alliums like onions and shallots add flavor and a bit of moisture to poultry. The onion and shallot flavor also pairs well with other onion-infused sides like dressing and green bean casserole.

Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.

He says "the apple juice will add to the aroma of the turkey and flavor of the skin," but does warn, however, that "the apple juice will evaporate into the oven unless you have the turkey covered." His recommendation is always to put the apples right inside the turkey if you can, since if you do so, those apples "will ...

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

“Eggs are a perfect emulsifier and binder so work really well to make many dishes cohesive,” she continues.

Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil in water, but egg yolk is the key emulsifier. Egg yolks contain long molecules called phospholipids that are able to interact with both the oil layer and the water. Mayonnaise is an impressively stable emulsion, which is why is can be sold in a shelf-stable form.