In the Kitchen w/ Sara: Cranberry Stuffing (or Dressing, if you want to be Technical about it)

Happy Holidays, y'all. I've been graciously asked to contribute a recipe for Thanksgiving by the Life & Style Guild so here it is. My stuffing recipe, presented for the enjoyment of yourself and your family. Technically it's dressing as it appears here, but you can shove it all up in to your turkey and *Voila* stuffing.

The first time I made this was a couple of years ago while we were living in Colorado. It happened almost completely by accident.

I had a slightly stale loaf of Udi's gluten free bread that we just never got around to eating. I didn't want it to go to waste and it was Sourdough or something so it would have been kind of terrible for french toast, so I decided to make stuffing. From scratch. Which I had never done before. This was WAY before Pinterest, so I went to good old Google for inspiration and instruction. I sort of pieced this together from my own imagination and a bunch of recipes, none of which I remember since it was in, like, 2010. Anyway, it came out delicious... like, "Damn, this is delicious!" delicious.

I preface by saying that you can toast the bread in the oven, as I have done today for times sake, but its really so much better if you toast it in a pan on the stove top. It takes longer and is about double the work because, unless you have the largest fry pan in the world, you'll have to do it in batches but its so worth it. Also, if you don't have any rendered bacon fat, stop what you are doing, make some bacon, and use all that drippy goodness for the benefit of all those whom shall sit at your table.

Don't feel the need to go 100% by the book here. Baking is like science and has to be exact, cooking is a little more like religion... there is room for interpretation. If you don't like parsley, use sage instead; if you have shallots and not an onion, use those bad boys. There are no rules in cooking... except washing your hands... you should always wash your hands. That's just good hygiene.

• What you'll need:
• 
  
• 2 loaves slightly stale bread (I used Udi's Gluten Free bread, but you can use what ever you like.)
• 4 tablespoons of bacon fat (You can use butter too. I won't judge you. I love butter... I just love bacon fat more.)
• 4 stalks of celery, cut how you like (I like things to be pretty small, but thats me. If you like big chunks, go big or go home.)
• 1 medium onion, cut how you like (Again, I like it small, so I actually grated mine.)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine (Use something you will want to drink... I used pinot grigio.)
• 1 container of chicken broth (Or 2 cans... or home made, about 14.5oz - 16oz in the end.)
• 1/2 cup of dried or fresh cranberries (Its up to you.)
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves (Fresh or dried, I used dried)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Lubricant of choice for baking pan (Pam, butter, what ev's.)

Directions:

1. Cut or rip your bread into about 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. Lay out the bread in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. If you are feeling particularly Devil-May-Care, coat the bread chunks bacon fat (or butter... or olive oil) first. Or toast it in the pan as I mentioned above. Its so worth it. That won't count as the 4 tablespoons though, so have extra. 
2. In a large saucepan, heat the bacon fat (or butter) over medium. Add celery, onion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper (To taste or to medical need... a lot of people are cutting back on the salt these days.). Stir occasionally, until vegetables are softened then add wine and cook about 5 more minutes. Transfer this yummy goodness to a large bowl.
3. Add bread, parsley, and cranberries to the veggies. Season with a little salt and pepper. Slowly add in half of broth. Stir. Continue to add in more broth just until stuffing is just moistened (Not wet, there should not be any liquid pooling in the bottom.). If it seems to dry, beat an egg or 2 together and add it. That's what Martha would do.
4. Spoon stuffing into your baking dish that has been buttered or Pam'd. Cover with buttered (or Pam'd) aluminum foil. Bake covered, 25 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden and delicious, about 15 minutes more.
   
   
   Sorry for the lack of pics, I took several of the process but its a cell phone and most of them didn't really come out very good and since I was concentrating on cooking, I failed to notice. These are the ones that looked good enough to post.

   

   Pretty, Pretty Bread.

   
   

   

   Pretty, Pretty Onion.

   
   

   

   Like a cranberry in the sun.

   
   

   

   On the table.