Baked Stuffing and cooking the turkey

Question

I need to roast my thanksgiving turkey in the oven. I also want to make stuffing but not in the bird. Every recipe I've looked at requires an hour of cooking. I'm not sure how to make that work. I have made some microwave stuffing in the past, but you don't get the nice crusty top.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

I can think of a couple options I would consider.

• Pre-cook the stuffing in a casserole dish the night before, then heat it in the oven towards the end of the bird's cooking time. Covered, you could probably leave it in the entire time the bird is cooking, but I don't think it would be necessary to reheat for that long.
• Cook the stuffing most of the way in the microwave, then put it in a casserole dish or cast iron skillet under the broiler (while the bird sits to rest after it's done cooking) in order to get the crust you want.
• Make stovetop stuffing in a large cast iron skillet with a lid over low heat. I would think you would get some kind of crust on the bottom, but I would finish it under the broiler regardless.

A recipe similar to this one for stovetop stuffing seems to be the way to go. This also has make-ahead and reheating times to give you a guide.

Answer 2

We often cook our stuffing separately (to accommodate allergies, for a different stuffing or just more stuffing). Put stuffing in a covered casserole in a Bain Marie (hot water bath). The water bath makes sure the stuffing does not dry out or burn on bottom.

To get "turkey" flavor add chicken wings on top, or add drippings from turkey. It still requires an hour, unless you precook.

Your turkey has to rest 20 - 40 minutes, and carving takes time, so that should give you at least 1/2 hour.

To get a lovely brown crunchy topping, remove chicken wings if used, brush stuffing top with melted butter during the last few minutes and broil uncovered. When broiling, make sure casserole is not close to broiler. Leave oven door slightly ajar and watch carefully.