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Easy Classic Turkey Stuffing

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 loaf sturdy sliced white bread
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cups celery, diced
  • 2 cups onion, diced
  • 3 tsp. poultry seasoning, add more or less to taste  
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1-½ to 2 cups chicken broth, use more or less to make stuffing as moist as desired 
  • Cooking spray

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
  • Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Cut the bread into ½-inch cubes; place in a large bowl.
  • In a large skillet, melt the butter; add the celery and onions and sauté until tender; about 10 minutes.
  • Add the poultry seasoning and salt and pepper to the celery and onion mixture; stir to combine.
  • Add the celery and onion mixture to the bread cubes; stir well to combine.
  • Add the chicken broth; stir gently to combine. 
  • Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
  • Spoon the stuffing mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  • Bake in the pre-heated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until heated through and lightly golden brown and crisp on top.
  • Alternatively, if stuffing a turkey, use the temperature recommended for roasting the turkey and place the stuffing in the cavity of the turkey.

Notes

The 1½ to 2 cups  gives the amount of moisture recommended for the stuffing – moist but not overly wet. The tendency is to add all the broth all at once; however,  instead add it a bit at a time until the stuffing attains the moisture level desired.  Add more broth, to make the stuffing even more moist. Just be careful not to add too much so that the stuffing doesn't become mushy.
This stuffing can be prepared a day ahead. Assemble the stuffing but don’t bake. Cover and refrigerate. If not stuffing in a turkey, add extra baking time to account for the fact that the stuffing is cold, maybe add 15 to 20 minutes or so. Take stuffing out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking to take some of the chill off.
It is not necessary to toast or stale bread for stuffing, as long as sturdy bread is used.  If toasting the bread, spread the cubes out on a large baking sheet and bake them in a 275°F to 300°F oven for 30 to 60 minutes until they are dry.  Cubes should be dry, not browned. 
To stale bread instead, spread the cubes out on a large baking sheet and let them sit on the counter for at least a few hours or overnight.