Stuffing

Stuffing goes great with anything.  Pork, Chicken, Turkey, and yes, even beef.  Many use a boxed stuffing and we have too.  Ya know what, it ain't that bad, but when we want some good home cookin' our way......   So, try this!

9 slices (half loaf) Bread
6 Tblspn Butter or margarine
1/2 chopped  (about a 1/2 cup) Onion
3 ribs Celery
1 tspn Poultry Seasoning
1/2 tspn each Salt and Pepper
1 can (3.8 oz) Black Olives
1 can (10 1/2 oz) Chicken Broth

What you're gonna want to do is dry the bread.  I cut it into pieces, spread over a baking sheet and cook about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Comes out like toast. 

Grab a pan like a dutch oven or a big skillet and melt your butter, then add everything else.  Stir it up real good. 
Then transfer it to a baking dish and bake 350 for 30-40 minutes.

If you're gonna stuff a chicken turkey, pork chops, or a roast, skip the baking.  It'll cook up with the meat.  If you find it still comes out too soft for you, bake half way then stuff.  Like we always say, experiment 'til it's your recipe.

Here's a neat trick for celery.  If it's kinda wimpy, you can crisp it up by putting the ribs in a glass of cold water in the fridge for a couple hours.  If you're in a hurry, ice it down.

That brings up why we started cooking our own dressing to start with.  Being only the two of us, we were finding that a loaf of bread would get stale before we could finish it.  We would either throw it away or feed the birds.  Same with the celery, we only use a few ribs from a stalk and maybe eat a few raw, but we'd end up throwing some away.  So waste not, want not, right?

If you use fresh parsley, you'll find the same thing happening.  You can add some to the stuffing.  I wouldn't add more than a quarter cup.

Now my parents and my sister make a mean Stuffed Rolled Round Steak.  Man it's delicious!  There is some differences in the stuffing though.  Substitute stuffed green olives for the black and add some mushrooms (canned or fresh).  Skip the poultry seasoning and the chicken stock.  They roll it up jelly roll style inside a round steak, secure with a toothpick, skewer, or cooking string.  Mix 3/4 stick melted butter with some nice red wine and pour over the round steak. Bake 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Now if you're doubling this recipe, you can substitute water for the second can of broth. 

Now, to help make this recipe your very own here's some things I've done from time to time and it still comes out good.  Substitute beef broth for the chicken broth.  Sometimes, I stuff an Italian meat loaf, so I add a little basil and some oregano. I've added Parmesan cheese.  And, don't forget the fruit, like in my apple stuffed pork chop recipe.

I use brown onion but have substituted white or red, and chopped green onions.  Many people throw in some oysters at Christmas and I've added lobster and crab.  So there's many possibilities. 

Have fun with it!