Stovetop or Baked Stuffing: Standard, Gluten-Free and/or Vegan

 

 

Thanksgiving is here in America and with all of the holidays coming up, I find it hard to believe that I have never posted recipes for stuffing/dressing. Call it what you will, even if you need to go gluten-free or are vegan, you can enjoy this traditional side dish.

 

My family traditional dressing is made with bread cubes and turkey broth, often with giblets.  I make a vegan version without the giblets, and with vegetable broth. Although you can use bread cubes, I go gluten-free and use quinoa.

 

Stuffing/Dressing, Baked or Stovetop

3 cups of bread cubes – OR- 1 1/2  cups of cooked quinoa, (prepared with ½ of the recommended amount of water);
set aside

¾ stick of butter or margarine

1 ½ cups minced celery

1 cup minced yellow onion

3 Tbs marjoram

3 Tbs. sage (rubbed)

½ tsp celery salt

(Or the equivalent in poultry seasoning of the last 3 ingredients)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper (any color)

2 Tbs milk, (cow or plain nut)

1  ½  + cups broth

 

In a heavy, large pan melt the butter or margarine

Add the celery and onion
Add the seasonings

sauté until the onions and celery are soft;
add milk.

Simmer for 15 minutes until the milk is absorbed.

Add the broth, (and giblets if using), and simmer for ½ hour

Place the bread cubes or quinoa in a large bowl. Pour the cooked dressing mix over while it is still hot, and stir until it is mostly absorbed into the bread. (If the bread seems too dry, add more broth; the quinoa will not absorb the mix until it is baked or cooked)

At this point, you can:

1. place in a well-buttered casserole dish and bake uncovered at 325F for an hour or until it is browned at the edges and fairly dry in the middle
2. cook on the stovetop, in a large, heavy-gauge pan, (preferably with ceramic or other non-stick coating),  stirring often, until fairly dry
3. stuff dressing made with bread into a chicken; double the recipe  to stuff a turkey

I hope that you find this helpful, especially for those of you who find yourselves with family or friends who cannot enjoy traditional dressing.

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Seven ? Layer Bars

When The Husband picked up a package of Seven-Layer Bars at the store last night,I was surprised; I had no idea that he had wanted them! They had been a big seller as a dessert choice for lunches and Sunday dinners at my bakery/restaurant. So when I made them for him and related our fairly amusing  exchange at the store on Facebook today, I was asked for the recipe.

If you have never made Seven-Layer Bars, they are an easy treat, which is popular at parties for all ages and for bake sales.

They can be made dairy-free by using Cream of Coconut instead of sweetened condensed milk, nut-free and Gluten-Free by using GF cookies and carefully reading labels and choosing your toppings.

Here’s today’s version:

 

                                                           Seven (?) Layer Bars
You may make more or fewer layers. These are VERY rich.

2 cups Cookie crumbs, plain, cinnamon or chocolate Graham cracker and/or hard cookie crumbs: Vanilla wafers, Ginger snaps, Digestives

½ cup melted butter or margarine + extra or cooking spray for pan

1 can Sweetened condensed milk = any flavor “Eagle Brand”,( not evaporated milk); 8 oz. Cream of Coconut, (not coconut milk), can be substituted

Multiple Topping choices :
Shredded coconut (1/2 cup)

Nut pieces, ½ cup (pref. walnut, but almonds, hazelnuts, cashews can be used/mixed)

Baking chips, 1+ cup total; choose, mix and match any or all:
Semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate;
butterscotch, cinnamon

Dried fruit-opt. (¼ cup)

Crushed toffee-opt. (¼ cup)

Small caramel pieces, or thick caramel in small dollops-opt. (1/3 cup)

[optional for Christmas: mint chips and/or crushed peppermint candy]

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter or spray an 8X10 or 9X9 baking pan.

Mix the melted butter or margarine and cookie crumbs.
Press firmly into the bottom of prepared pan, rising a little at edges.

Pour milk over the crust, indenting about ½ inch from the edges

Scatter coconut over the milk. Add layer by layer the nuts, chips and/or candy pieces, avoiding the edges.

Bake for approx. 40 minutes, until the chips are melted and the edges slightly browned.

Let cool in pan on rack COMPLETELY to set. When cool, cut into bars.