Turkey Stuffing:

No Thanksgiving turkey is complete without its stuffing. Stuffed into the turkey and served as a baked sidedish, this item is a necessity for any Thanksgiving meal. Here are some ways to spice up your regular stuffing with nuts, apples, parmesan cheese or sausage.

1 pkg. Uncle Ben’s original rice

¼ cup butter

2 medium onions or 1 large sweet onion, chopped

4-6 stalks celery, chopped

12 cups bread crumbs

4 Tablespoons parsley, divided

3 Tablespoons sage, divided

Dash salt

Dash pepper

½ – 1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Sauté onions and celery in butter. Add salt, pepper, 2 Tablespoons of parsley and 1 Tablespoon of sage. Cook the rice with 2 cups of water, then add rice to veggie mix in skillet. Put ½ of bread crumbs in large stock pot. Pour approximately ½ cup of chicken broth into pot and stir to moisten. Add ½ of veggie/rice mix and stir. Sprinkle mixture with 1 Tablespoon of sage and parsley and stir to mix. Add remaining bread crumbs and repeat procedure until all ingredients are well blended. Add more chicken broth as necessary. Stuff mixture into turkey and bake any remaining stuffing covered, at 325°F for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or with leftover turkey. Store in airtight container.

Variations:

Apple-Walnut Stuffing: Add 2 medium, peeled and chopped apples and 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts. Decrease liquid by 2 Tablespoons as apples will increase moisture of stuffing. Mix into stuffing.

Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing: Add 1 cup dried cranberries and 2/3 cup of toasted pecans. To toast pecans, spread an even layer on a baking sheet and bake at 325°F 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until slightly browned and noticeable toasted smell. Mix into stuffing.

Sausage Stuffing: In small skillet, brown ½ pound of pork sausage; drain. Reserve drippings and substitute for butter to sauté onions and celery. Add 2 Tablespoons chopped thyme and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese into skillet. Mix into stuffing.