Stuffing 101

Turkey stuffing is such a personal matter. You probably have your mother's recipe (or your grandmother's, if you're lucky). I swear by my great-grandmother's German stuffing. And it's so good, it's converted everyone who has tried it! But your favorite is your own. I'll give you several recipes for stuffing, but if you have one you love, keep using it! Whatever recipe you do use, these stuffing tips and recipes will help you make it fabulous.
There are only a few tricks to the best stuffing.

• Make the stuffing slightly dry if you are going to stuff the turkey with it. It will expand and become more moist as the turkey roasts.
• The bread you use should be dried overnight at room temperature, or sliced and baked in a very low oven for about an hour. Bread that's too moist will make a soggy, sticky stuffing.
• Make sure to spoon the stuffing lightly into the turkey cavities. We want to get that stuffing to 165 degrees, and it won't if it's packed too tightly!
• Crockpot or slow cooker stuffing recipes are fabulous time and oven-savers. Did you know that if the mixture is baked inside the turkey, it's called stuffing, but if it's not, it's called dressing? If you choose to bake your dressing in the oven, make it more moist by adding some butter, cold water, or poultry stock.

Be sure to read Stuffing Science to learn about food safety and the science behind the best stuffing.