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Bobbi’s Turkey and Stuffing

By Bobbi Ennett Allen

My aunt made a traditional stuffing, but added mushrooms (canned) and sausage and oysters. I didn’t understand the oysters and the odd flavor they imparted, so they never were added into my stuffing. But here is my version of the family recipe! Unfortunately, the ingredients are “guesstimated.” I like stuffing that is actually cooked in the bird, as it loses some of the charm if it is in a casserole dish. You should probably decide how much of everything you would like. But for a 20 pound bird this is what I do.

1regular tube of sage-flavored sausage

1large chopped onion

3stalks celery, chopped

Giblets (Liver, if desired, heart and soft part of gizzard, not gristle), chopped

1package mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1large bag seasoned stuffing crumbs (not croutons) OR one box with two bags

1loaf stale bread (White, wheat or Italian or sourdough) more or less depending on bird

2sticks butter

6cups chicken or turkey broth

Poultry seasoning or ground sage

salt

pepper

2sticks butter, one melted butter for the bird

120 lb. turkey

Fry the onion, sausage, celery, mushrooms and giblets until sausage is almost done (still a little pink). Place this into a large bowl and add stuffing crumbs. Tear bread into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Boil broth. Cut butter into small pieces and put into bowl with bread. Add about 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning or sage, your choice. Add the broth, about 1 cup at a time, until stuffing is moist, and will hold together, somewhat in the shape of a ball. Add salt, pepper or poultry seasonings to taste. This is important, because some people don’t like it over seasoned. We like it a little spicy, so I usually use at least one whole jar of seasoning. I coat the inside of the bird with melted butter mixed with a bit of sage and about 2 tablespoons of salt. I just paint it in there with a pastry brush. I also do this on the outside of the bird. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, stuff and tie the bird shut. Don’t forget to bend the wing tips down under him so they don’t burn and flavor the rest of the meat with their burnt smell. I cut them off one year and the wings seemed a little dry, so I just bend them under so that they rest against the butt. Lately I have been using one of those oven bags, mainly to eliminate the messy pan, but it really does keep the turkey moist, and you don’t have to baste it. If you have any leftover broth, you can add it to the bag with the turkey. Cut up another stick of butter on the bird so that it melts as it cooks. This adds flavor, calories and moisture! Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes per pound of bird. Break the bag open during the last 1/2 hour of cooking to brown the skin. This is preferable to cooking the bird upside down as recent cookbooks suggest, because you can still put the whole beautiful bird on the table to get those “oooohs and aaaaahs.”