Stuffin’ Muffins!
Whoo Hoo! It’s almost Tofurky and stuffing time!
One of the things I look forward to the most is my mom’s stuffing. Although, my mom’s yams could kick your mom’s yams ass all over the place. Maybe if you’re nice, I’ll post that recipe too. Probably not though. Cause I’m greedy like that.
Anyway, back to the stuffing. I know there are a million fancy stuffing recipes out there that have all kinds of crazy crap in them. Sage, cranberries, apple, nuts, “Stove Top”, whatever. I’ve tried them, I’ve smiled and I’ve discreetly spit them all into my napkin while the host wasn’t looking. Well, ok, maybe not all of them. I guess it’s just that once you’ve gotten used to a certain type of stuffing, the others simply can’t compete.
This recipe originally came from my grandmother Dot. All flavor aside, one thing I always disliked about her stuffing was that the outside would be crispy and the middle would always be mushy. If you didn’t get dibs on the first couple scoops, you were screwed.
My mom, being the Food Network’s biggest fan, swiped the adorable idea several years later to shove it into muffin cups. Hence the name “Stuffin’ Muffins” (courtesy of Rachael Ray). This left every serving perfectly crispy on the outside and super soft in the middle – thus resolving the mush problem . Plus, it saves you from having to reach over and grab your deaf uncle’s plate and yell “HOW MUCH!?” Bonus!
So here it is. My families traditional stuffing recipe. Only this version hasn’t been stuffed up a turkey’s butt.
photo from the Food Network
Ingredients
- 2 loaves white bread (dried & cubed) * you may not need to use all of the bread *
- 2 Large onions (finely diced)
- 1 head of celery (sliced – remove strings with potato peeler)
- 1 cube non-dairy butter
- Vegetable Broth
- 2-3 Tablespoons of Bell’s Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
- All the crazy other stuff I mentioned earlier is optional
Instructions
- Dry the bread out by spreading it out on a table or counter (if you have kitties or kids with wandering hands you might want to spread it out – whole slices – on a few cookie sheets and put it in a 200 degree oven for a bit). When the top feels dry, flip the bread over to dry out the other side. NEVER use prepared/packaged bread cubes. They taste totally different.
- After the bread is dry, break/tear the bread into pieces about 1 inch in size. We usually don’t use the ends; personal preference. Put bread cubes in a large bowl.
- Melt ‘butter’ in large stockpot. Sauté the onions and celery in the ‘butter’ until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add Bell’s Seasoning, salt & pepper. Adding the other crap I mentioned is also optional at this point. Mix well.
- Scoop mixture over dried bread cubes and mix well.
- Put ½ of the bread cubes in a large bowl and add some celery/onion mixture to it. Add a little vegetable broth for moisture. Mix, add a little more of each, repeat. Stuffing should be wet but not soaking wet. It needs to be moist but you don’t want it too mushy.
- Spray muffin pan (regular or jumbo size) with non-stick spray. Fill with stuffing. The tops should be rounded so they look like cupcakes.
- Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
I wish I had an awesome vegan gravy recipe to go with this but I’m lazy. We buy the Tofurky Giblet and Mushroom Gravy, throw it in a pan and heat it up. Back breaking, I know.
While this may not be the fanciest recipe, it will always be one of my favorite family recipes. After all, Thanksgiving isn’t only about the food, it’s about family. Oh yeah, and all the pilgrims and Indians and slaughter and stuff. But most of all, it’s about being thankful for those in your life and remembering those who are no longer with you. So eat, be thankful, and get drunk with your deaf uncle after dinner.
Happy almost Thanksgiving!
Gramma Dot
