Over the Top Stove Top Stuffing

 

Ok, so lets talk about stuffing, shall we? 

Wait.. before we talk about it.. what do YOU call it? Is it stuffing? Is it dressing? Actually, when I was little, we used to call it FILLING. My Dad used to say "do you stuff a turkey will filling? or do you fill a turkey with stuffing???" lol 

 Aaaanyway... dressing, stuffing, filling... call it whatever you like, but a Thanksgiving dinner is just not complete without it. 

And I know I always say "It's better when YOU make it", but some people do like the purchased stuffing mix (like Stove Top) better than home made. I'm speaking to YOU, Kelsie Kels!

Yes, my friend Kelsie loves Stove Top stuffing better than my home made stuffing.... no no, I'm not upset or bitter at all........ I mean, Stove Top Stuffing is literally good stuff, right?

  But then it got me to thinking... what if I start with Stove Top and then zhuzh it up a bit to make it more home made? Then we could have the best of both worlds!

 I started with some melted butter.. (like I always say.. more butter, more better..) then I added some aromatics, seasonings, and a little chicken broth.. So far so good... But then I added an unexpected something that takes it from good to great....the secret ingredient??? GRAVY! But wait.. who puts gravy IN their stuffing???... I know... I know....but just go with me on this! You just add a little gravy over the stuffing and then let it bake right in. BOOM! Now THAT takes it over the top! (you're gonna pour gravy over it anyway, so why not???) You still have your favorite Stove Top Stuffing flavors, but now they're just turned up a little, and you'll never have dry stuffing again!

 Now I just have to make it for Kelsie to see if she approves!  

1 stick butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 or 3 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried

3 cups chicken broth

2 boxes Stovetop Stuffing mix (chicken or turkey)

1 small jar Heinz turkey gravy

 

 

Heat oven to 350ºF.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter. add onions and celery. Stir and saute until they begin to soften. Add the thyme leaves and stir just until fragrant. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the dry stuffing mix and toss everything together. Now add the chicken broth. Stir until the broth is absorbed. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish. Pour the gravy over the top. Use a big spoon to help the gravy settle into the casserole. Bake for about a half hour until bubbly. 

 

 

 

 

Tips:

Clearly I'm not the first person to come up with this. I've seen lots of short videos with the same idea. Some add browned sausage, some add crumbled corn bread. The gravy idea was from one of those videos, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it. I remember he added corn bread too, but I decided to leave that out. Make it the way you like it!