Thanksgiving Day Stuffing

I posted this on our ward website and decided I would share on this page as well....I hope everyone is doing well and let me know if you have any fun recipes you want to share with me :)
 _______________________________________________________________________________

I absolutely loathed stuffing when I was a youngster. I had no understanding as to why anyone would want to consume "wet salty bread". Oh dear....

What I couldn't comprehend was how complex stuffing could be. I'm not talking about stuffing from a box, I mean the homemade stuffing that perfumes your home for days with the scent of sage, onions, and sourdough bread. If I understood how much time and love went into the preparation of said dish, maybe.....just maybe I would have given it the applause and appreciation it so deserves.

Now, my friends, now I love stuffing.

I am going to give you a recipe that I tried for the first time last week. The husband and I go to his Mom's house once a month for Sunday dinner and she mentioned that she was going to do a tester Thanksgiving Day meal. I told her I would bring this recipe.

Before we left I chopped and sauteed my heart out all the while hoping that this recipe I stumbled upon would be worth my time.

As we sat down for dinner, stuffing, potatoes, smoked chicken, corn, homemade rolls and delicious gravy encircled me. I eagerly scooped up some stuffing and tried the first bite. It. Was. Amazing. The crunchy sourdough, the perfectly moist wheat bread, carrots and onions infused with love sweat and tears (that was a lot of onions to cut) was perfection. My father in law ranted and raved about it and even mentioned that it was better than my Mother in Laws and his deceased Mother's recipe. Wow....wow.

Needless to say, it is a great recipe and I hope it finds a home on your Thanksgiving tablecloth next to that delicious Turkey you've been babying in preparation.

Happy Cooking and Happy Thanksgiving Day!

{P.S One change I did make was some rosemary and I think next time I will add some sausage to add some complexity.}

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Garden

Caramelized Onion and Carrot Stuffing:

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 2  large sweet onions, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
• 4  medium carrots, cut in chunks and/or slices (2 cups)
• 1/3  cup  butter
• 1/4  cup  coarsely torn fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 1  pound  sourdough bread and/or whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (12 cups) and dried*
• 1 - 1 1/2  cups  chicken broth
•  Fresh sage sprigs (optional)

Directions

1. In a 4-to 5- quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and carrots. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover; increase heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes more or until onions are golden**, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add butter. Stir until melted. Add 1/4 cup sage, salt, and pepper. Add bread; toss to combine. Drizzle with enough broth to moisten, tossing lightly to combine.

2. Place stuffing in a 3-quart casserole. Bake, covered, alongside turkey for 45 to 60 minutes or until heated through. Or, use to stuff one 12- to 14-pound turkey. Garnish with fresh sage.

• To dry bread cubes, spread cubes in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cubes are dry, stirring twice; cool. Or let bread cubes stand loosely covered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
•