Mom’s Cornflake Stuffing
I grew up on this stuffing. One year, Mom bought a massive monster of a bird, almost 30 pounds, and stuffed it to the brim with her cornflake stuffing. The roasting pan was not sturdy enough and Mom ended up losing almost half the stuffing to the floor when it collapsed. She didn’t bat an eye. We still had enough stuffing to feed a half dozen people and have leftovers for Thanksgiving sandwiches for a week.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Butter or Fat
2 large Onions, chopped
3 large Carrots, diced
1 large Green Pepper, diced
4 Celery stalks, chopped
2 pieces Wheat Bread
Eggs
4 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt, Pepper, Old Bay Spices
Cornflakes
1. Heat the butter or fat in a large skillet and add your vegetables. Sauté until soft but not too done. In the last minute or so of heating, liberally add salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasonings.
2. In a large bowl, add the corn flakes. Drizzle a little bit of water onto the bread and break it apart with your hands into the corn flakes.
3. Add the vegetables, mixing gently to avoid breaking too many of the corn flakes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is sticky but not soaked, usually 3 or 4 eggs.
5. Bake in a roasting pan or stuff your bird loosely as the stuffing will swell when cooking. You can use the rest around the bird itself in the pan to soak up the juices from the turkey or just bake it in a casserole. If you choose to stuff the bird, make sure the stuffing is cooked to a safe 165 degrees in the center. For optimal safety, bake the stuffing separately.
This stuffing is very versatile because you can add or exchanging just about every vegetable you would like to it. My mom always used Old Bay, but Bell seasoning can be used as well, or even Adobo if you prefer that flavor profile. Go nuts, be creative! This will give you a softer stuffing, which has its advantages. My family’s favorite use for this stuffing is as a base for pan fried Thanksgiving sandwiches, but that’s another recipe!
Roasting a Turkey
There are many methods used by Southern Cooks to cook a moist and tasty Roasted Turkey. Most methods rely on basting. The turkey can be basted every 30 minutes with a basting bulb, or covered with cheesecloth soaked in butter. Other methods include brining the turkey (soaking in a salt water solution for 8-10 hours), or injecting a basting solution into the meat. Whatever method you prefer, proper roasting is key to tender moist meat.
Image by due.chiacchiere via Flickr
- Completely thaw the turkey. Start early and thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in a place where the air temperature is no higher than 40 degrees. A 20-pound turkey takes about two or three days to thaw completely. Be sure the turkey is thawed completely, until no ice appears in the inner cavity and the meat is soft. Be careful: If the inner cavity is still frozen or even partially frozen when you put the turkey in the oven, the outside of the bird will be done before the inside, and the inside temperature will not be hot enough to destroy disease-causing bacteria, or if it is the outside meat will be dried out before the center is done.
- Remove the neck and giblets from the cavities. If this is your first time cooking the turkey, be sure that both cavities are emptied. Reserve the neck and giblets for use in preparing the giblet gravy, if desired.
- Prepare the stuffing. If you are preparing the stuffing early, mix only the dry ingredients. It is recommended that you cook the stuffing separately, but if you do stuff the turkey, do not stuff it until you are ready to roast it. Stuff the cavity loosely. Do not pack it. If you choose to cook the stuffing separately, you can place a quartered onion and some celery leave and other desired herbs in the cavity for flavor.
- Prepare a basting sauce. I prefer to baste with melted butter to which I add fresh or dried herbs. You can also baste with a mixture of wine and butter. Baste the turkey with your sauce and place a loose tent of aluminum foil over the turkey to prevent the skin from burning before the turkey is cooked. This tent will be removed during the last 45 minutes or so of cooking. If you are using cheesecloth, soak the cheesecloth with the basting sauce and place over the breast and drape onto the thighs. When using cheesecloth, you do not need the foil tent. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes during roasting.
- Roast your turkey at 325 degrees for the recommended time for the weight of your turkey. These times are approximate and should be confirmed with a meat thermometer. Be sure to check the thermometer about 3/4th of the way through the time indicated so as not to overcook. Dry meat will result if the turkey is overcooked. The following table gives approximate times for roasting turkey at 325 degrees F.For safety and doneness the internal temperature must reach 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 in the center of the breast. If the turkey is stuffed, the stuffing should reach 165 degrees F in the cavity. This temperature is essential to prevent food borne disease, and should be measured with a meat thermometer. The pop-up thermometer that comes in many turkeys serves as a good approximate of doneness, but should not be relied on as the ultimate authority. When placing the meat thermometer in the thigh or breast, it is important not to touch the bone. The bone conducts heat and will be hotter than the meat. Do not allow the cooked meat to come into contact with anything that has touched the raw turkey.
- During the last 30 – 45 minutes of cooking, remove the foil tent to encourage browning. If you desire to use a glaze, spread it over the turkey now with a pastry brush.
- After dinner, separate the stuffing from the turkey and refrigerate leftovers immediately. Within a few hours bacterial will begin to grow causing disease if the meat is not quickly cooled. Large chunks of meat will cool slowly, and therefore should be refrigerated immediately to begin the cooling process. Meat, stuffing, and gravy can also be cooled, then frozen for future use.
- Luke warm leftovers allow bacterial growth. Food eaten cold will not have the opportunity for further growth, however when heating leftover, they should be heated to at least 165 to kill bacteria.
| Wt. of Turkey | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| 10-18 lbs | 3- 3 1/2 hrs. | 4 – 4 1/2 hrs |
| 18-22 lbs | 3 1/2 – 4 hrs | 4 1/2 – 5 hrs. |
| 22-24 lbs | 4- 4 1/2 hrs | 5 – 51/2 hrs |
| 24-29 lbs | 4 1/2- 5 hrs | 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 hrs |
The turkey must be roasted all at once. You cannot partially cook it ahead for later finishing. This method has been shown to increase the chances of food borne illnesses.
Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops
February 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under Meats, Valentine's Day
Photo by Jasonlam
These Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops are a nice entree for a romantic meal. Lean the chop against a pile of stuffing and drizzle with the sauce for a nice tall presentation.
Apricot Stuffed Pork Chops
Stuffing:
- 4 oz. dried apricots, diced
- 1/4 cup brandy or red wine
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 2 eggs
- 8 ounces stuffing croutons
- Chicken broth- as needed for moisture
Chops:
- 8 4-ounce pork chops
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- Soak dried diced apricots in the brandy or red wine for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Combine marinated apricots with the remaining stuffing ingredients. Moisten with chicken broth as needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make a slit in the chops by slicing halfway up the thickness of the chop.
- Stuff each chop with 1/3 cup of the stuffing mixture. Spoon the remaining stuffing into a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the apricot preserves with 1/4 cup of chicken broth in a 9X13 inch baking dish. Spread the sauce evenly over the bottom of the baking dish and place the chops on top.
- Cover both dishes with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Check doneness with a meat thermometer. Pork is done when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
