Not yo mama's stuffing

Certain brand name stuffings truly give it a bad name. We won't mention names but SOME stuffings made atop certain stoves is alright when it comes to flavor but truly crap when it comes to texture. Blech. I listened to some online guide which said that, surprisingly, this brand had actually fared the best in a blind taste test. Well they must not have had any feeling in their mouths that day, perhaps they were snockered on hot toddies or eggnog when that test happened.

Either way, I've discovered that stuffing is one thing that's not so much more difficult to prepare from scratch. It makes a world of difference.

Here's a good basic recipe for bready-not-soggy-sage-stuffing

Serves about 4 people (6 sides if you're being stingy, and trust me you won't want to be)

1 medium red onion, diced or minced

3 celery ribs, minced, leaves reserved and chopped

8 oz package sliced portobellini mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

4 TB butter

1 large crusty baguette or Italian hard loaf of some sort, cubed (about 6 cups)

1-2 TB chopped fresh sage (or if you wanna skimp use 1 1/2 tsp ground sage)

1 TB chopped thyme

2 tsp rosemary (?)

*

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken or preferably turkey stock

1. Saute onion, celery and garlic in butter for 10 minutes or so, till softened and beginning to brown almost. Add mushrooms after 5 minutes and stir vigorously.

2. Toss into a bowl filled with the bread, herbs and spices (also the celery leaves you saved) and then allow to cool for a few minutes before adding the stock.

3. Drizzle about 1 TB olive oil over the top and pop into a 350 degree, covered with foil. Remove the cover after about 25 minutes and bake an additional 10 minutes, till crispy and amazing.