Thanksgiving is here, and that means Den and Lou (my parents!) are back from Florida, bringing all the holiday magic with them. And when Lou is in the kitchen, you know something amazing is about to happen. Every year, she makes her famous Thanksgiving stuffing—a recipe so simple and delicious, it’s become a staple on our holiday table.
Just a heads up, though: if you’re trying to cut back on butter, you might want to look away now. Lou always says, “It’s Thanksgiving for goodness’ sake! Don’t you think Ina Garten uses butter??” 😂 Her stuffing is rich, flavorful, and the kind of comfort food that feels like a hug. Even the kids go back for seconds (and thirds).
It’s a recipe she’s been perfecting for as long as I can remember. I couldn’t resist sharing these throwback pictures of Grace, just three years old, helping Lou in the kitchen. They capture all the joy and nostalgia that make Thanksgiving so special.
Ingredients:
1 bag of Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing
1 quart of chicken stock
12 ounces pork sausage
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 stick of butter
2 apples, roughy chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
5 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
Instructions:
Cook your sausage in a sauté pan with a tablespoon of butter. Once it’s nice and browned, add in your celery, onion and apples. You’re going to want that to cook down a lot, about 15 minutes of stirring around, adding a tablespoon of butter here and there, until it’s all gone 🙈(Lou clearly doesn’t have a problem adding butter, but I must admit, it makes it SOOOOO good).
Once everything is cooked down, you’re going to want to add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock and let that absorb in.
Add 8 ounces (about 1/2 the bag) of stuffing and stir that around until all the bread is wet.
Once everything is absorbed and looking delicious, add the stuffing to a casserole dish (spray it first with a baking spray) and bake for about 25 minutes, uncovered, at 350.
xx, Liz
