Uncle Bill’s Turkey Dressing 🦃
Description: An excellent vegetarian-style dressing for poultry, perfected over 35 years by Uncle Bill.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Servings: 12
Ingredients:
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 8 oz | Butter or margarine |
| 1/4 cup | Small onion |
| 2 | Green peppers |
| 1 | Celery rib |
| 2 | Eggs |
| 1 1/2 cups | Fresh mushrooms |
| 1 tsp | Poultry seasoning |
| 1 1/2 tsp | Ground ginger |
| 1/4 tsp | Salt |
| 3/4 tsp | Dried parsley |
| 2 tbsp | Fresh parsley, chopped |
| 2 tsp | Dried dill weed |
| 1 tsp | Garlic powder |
| 1/2 tsp | Fresh ground black pepper |
| 2 cups | Crushed soda crackers |
Instructions:
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Prepare Bread Cubes: Begin by purchasing an 8-ounce sliced loaf of day-old bread, such as homemade, sourdough, or Italian bread. Cut it into 1/2″ cubes and place them on cookie sheets to dry for at least 1 day or dry them in a 250°F oven for about 30 minutes. Uncle Bill prefers to buy bread rather than purchasing bread cubes or bread crumbs.
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Sauté Vegetables: In a large frying pan, add butter or margarine, onions, green and red peppers, and celery. Sauté for about 10 minutes on medium heat, making sure not to brown them.
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Add Seasonings: Add chicken soup base to the sautéed vegetables and stir well. Continue sautéing for an additional 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
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Mix Eggs and Milk: In a large mixing bowl, add beaten eggs and milk, and mix well. Then add the dried bread cubes and mix thoroughly to coat.
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Incorporate Mushrooms: Mix in the fresh mushrooms with the bread and egg mixture.
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Season Dressing: In a small bowl, combine poultry seasoning, ground ginger, salt, parsley, dill weed, garlic powder, and fresh ground black pepper. Sprinkle this seasoning mixture over the dressing and mix well to distribute evenly.
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Add Soda Crackers: Next, add the crushed soda crackers to the dressing mixture and mix well. The dressing should be only slightly moist when squeezed and should just hold together. If it’s too moist, add more crushed cracker crumbs until the desired texture is achieved. Adjust spices to taste, and you may wish to add some dried sage if desired.
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Prepare Turkey Cavity: Line the cavity of the turkey with cheesecloth, leaving enough cloth so that it protrudes outside the cavity. Stuff the dressing loosely into the turkey cavity; do not press tightly as it will not cook properly. Alternatively, you can wrap the dressing in double aluminum foil and bake it in the oven along with your turkey or separately at 400°F for about 1 1/2 hours.
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Bake: When the turkey is cooked, pull out the cheesecloth with the dressing. This leaves the cavity clean, and you do not need to dig the dressing out. Uncle Bill prefers to cook the dressing in double aluminum foil in the oven.
This recipe yields a delicious and flavorful dressing that complements any poultry dish perfectly. Enjoy the comforting flavors of Uncle Bill’s Turkey Dressing at your next holiday feast or family gathering! 🍽️🍗
