The Best Stuffing Ever! No, Seriously...

My mouth is watering right now!

If you are looking for a fabulous wonderful best stuffing ever, congratulations. You have found it! This comes from my Aunt Marsha's kitchen, and even if you are not a stuffing lover, I promise, you'll love this. Joe isn't really a big stuffing eater, but he agrees that this is the best stuffing out there. Most Thanksgivings he doesn't even eat the stuffing, but at Marsha's Thanksgiving, he ranks this as the second best item just after the turkey (or maybe even before the turkey). I just don't know how to rave about this enough to impress upon you the wonderfulness of this dish. It is great for any holiday meal, but it can also stand alone as a tasty post-holiday snack. It's even been known to be breakfast on an occasion or three. 

So without further ado, thank you Marsha for sharing your "famous" recipe with me and agreeing to let me share it with all of you. 

Best Stuffing Ever:

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage cooked and drained

2 Tbsp olive oil

4-6 ounces pancetta diced 

1 extra large yellow onion, chopped

7 large celery ribs, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups, day old, finely diced French bread (this is where I used Foccaccia)

3 cups crumbled corn bread

1  cup toasted pine nuts (3/4 c. for dressing, 1/4 c. for top)

1 cup  shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp ground sage

2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 1/2 Tbsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp salt

4-5 cups chicken or turkey broth

1/2 cup butter, cubed, cold 

large Parmesan shavings

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet on Medium. Saute Pancetta for 2 minutes.

Add onion and celery and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes.

Mix together breads and 3/4 c. toasted pine nuts in a large mixing bowl, Add cheeses and cooked sausage to the breads. Mix together with the dried seasonings 

Add sauteed veggies with any pan drippings.

Slowly add broth and stir until mixed thoroughly. The consistency should not be soupy. but very moist, If not, add more broth.

Test for saltiness and add a dash more if needed.

Place in an extra deep 9 x 13 " greased pan. (I don't have an extra deep pan, so I ended up with a regular 9" x 13" pan and an 8" x 8" pan too.)

Dot the top with cubed butter and cover with foil. Bake at 375* for 45 min. (350 for 1 hr)

Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until slightly crusted on the edges.

Top with remaining pine nuts..Add shaved cheese just before serving.

I made my rustic French bread the night before. 

All mixed up!

Ready to bake.

Mmmm! Doesn't it look so delicious?

Rosemary Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits

I made some awesome Southern Buttermilk Biscuits last week, and I had some buttermilk in the fridge that I needed to use up tonight. We also had some very tasty rosemary bread at Macaroni Grill a few weeks ago that I had in mind still. And of course the garlic cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster are amazing! So, I decided to combine some elements of all three.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon fresh diced rosemary

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold cut into small pieces

1 cup buttermilk (approx)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450˚.

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and cut in or blend until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. It should be fairly wet.

Spoon 7-8 mounds of dough on a greased baking sheet. Place in oven for 10-12 minutes.