STUFFING

Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without stuffing.  I grew up eating the Pepperidge Farm stuff - you know... buy the bread in the bag, add onions, celery, broth, and bake.  My mom always adds sausage to it, and it tastes fantastic.  I still think Stove Top is my favorite, though.  Thinking back, I'm pretty sure that I never had completely homemade stuffing... until last weekend.

My first attempt at making soy-free dairy-free stuffing turned out great!  I used this recipe and didn't really modify it at all.  My only critique would be that it turned out less "stuck together" than what I'm used to.  Think: yumtastic semi-gooey croutons.  For Thanksgiving, I will probably add just a little more broth than 1 cup to get all of the bread to stick, and I'll probably decrease the "butter" a tiny bit. 

STUFFING (soy-free dairy-free)

1 lb loaf of bread, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup "butter" (I use soy-free Earth Balance)
1 onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion)
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning (I used Nature's Seasons)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup chicken broth

I used a loaf of french bread that I bought from the Publix bakery.  Make sure you double-check whatever bread you choose.  This particular bread only used soy oil, but it was safe otherwise.  (Side note:  I eat soy oil and soy lecithin, since my daughter is not super allergic to these.  It's just the soy protein that I watch out for.  Make sure you choose accordingly to what you need!)
 
*The recipe called for a pound of bread.  The loaf I used was only 3/4 of a pound, and it was fine.  (Also, I dropped many, many cubes on the floor - my dog enjoyed this step - and still had enough for the stuffing.)

You will need to dry out the bread for several hours.  The recipe I used says at least two hours; mine sat out for close to 5 hours and turned out perfectly.

 
I cut mine into slices and then used scissors to cut it further down into cubes.  Scissors made it much easier!  I started off with a knife and found that I was smushing the bread like crazy.  It would have been stuffing made from all crusts.  :)

 

After your bread is dried out, cut up your veggies and add them to your pan of melty "butter."  Make sure they get nice and soft, and then add in the salt, pepper, and seasoning.

I put all of my bread chunks in a big bowl and then dumped the veggies/butter down on top.  

Stir 'em up, and then add the chicken broth (or veggie broth, should you so desire).  Then put your stuffing into a greased 13x9 pan, and pop it in the oven!

I cooked mine for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  DELICIOUS!