By no means am I a food stylist (as will be apparent below) or a food blogger (also apparent below), but I do love great food! And every once in a while I make something that's pretty fantastic. I am lucky enough to have a husband that cooks 90% of our meals...Yes, I'm spoiled! I do however, have a few favorite recipes that I love to cook for special occasions, whether that's a casual Sunday dinner with my sweetie, a potluck dinner party with friends or Thanksgiving dinner with family. Here's one of my all time faves and a tradition for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1/2-1 yellow onion (This year I only used 1/2 an onion, because we had it in the fridge from the dinner the night before)
- 1 bin (about 8-12) mushrooms (I used small crimini mushrooms, but any would be fabulous!)
- 1 bunch of celery
- 1-2 apples ( I used one from the neighbors branch that reaches into our yard & a fuji apple)
- 1-4 Tbsp herbs (this year I used sage & oregano from the garden)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 box breadcrumbs (the past few years I've used the cornmeal version from TJ's, but any will do)
- 1 box (or 4 cups) Veggie Broth
- 1/2-1 stick salted butter
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 (or more) glass(es) of Chardonnay (I'm usually a Sauvignon Blanc gal, but this calls for a little fuller wine) or a nice Pinot Noir
Directions:
- Pour yourself a glass of wine.
- Dice the onion & set aside.
- Clean the mushrooms with a wet paper towel or cloth. Slice mushrooms & rough cut them into small chunks. Set aside.
- Dice the entire bunch of celery & apples into rough chunks. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place veggie broth in a saucepan on medium to low to warm.
- Place 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) of butter in a large stock pot on medium to high heat. Add olive oil, so butter doesn't burn.
- Add onions & stir until soft.
- Chop herbs & set aside.
- Add mushrooms to stockpot with onions & stir until gently sautéed.
- Grease a baking dish on the bottom & sides. Set aside.
- Next, stir in celery & apples & saute until slightly soft. Keep lid on so the moisture is retained. Crack pepper into mixture.
- Turn heat off & add breadcrumbs. Add herbs & fold mixture into breadcrumbs so vegetables are evenly dispersed.
- Slowly add the veggie broth into the mixture & again gently fold mixture until the breadcrumbs are saturated, but not smashed.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Scoop the mixture into your greased baking dish & cover with foil.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil & bake another 5 minutes to create a slightly crispy top layer.
- Remove, serve & enjoy.
This recipe can be modified in so many ways:
- I've used pear in place of the apple before
- Some people might like cranberries
- You could definitely use stale bread instead of the lazy boxed version
- Homemade broth would definitely be a nice touch
- You could add garlic
Let me know your favorite dressing (or stuffing) recipes.
