How to Make Homemade Turkey Dressing Stuffing

One of the essential elements of a Thanksgiving meal---or any turkey meal, for that matter---is good turkey stuffing. While boxed dressing can be tasty, nothing beats the flavor of homemade dressing made with all the right ingredients. Making your own stuffing is not as complicated as you might think and can be done whether you are a pro in the kitchen or not.

Things You'll Need

• 2 turkey legs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Roasting pan
• 2 mixing bowls
• 4 cups white cornmeal
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 1/2 tablespoons shortening, butter or oil
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup bell pepper
• 10-inch ovenproof skillet
• 2 cups chicken broth

Instructions

Making the Stuffing

1. Lightly season two turkey legs with salt and pepper and place them in a roasting pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then salt and pepper the turkey legs on both sides again, and place back in the oven for another hour. Remove the cooked turkey legs from the oven and let them cool until they can be handled. This recipe only calls for turkey legs, not any other type of turkey cuts.

2. In a mixing bowl, blend 4 cups of white cornmeal with 2 eggs and 2 cups of milk. Use an electric mixer or mix by hand until the mixture becomes a thick batter.

3. Add ½ tablespoon of poultry seasoning and 2 ½ tablespoons of shortening, oil or butter to the batter. Mix in 1/2 cup each of chopped onions, celery and bell pepper. Mix the ingredients well.

4. Pour the mixture into a greased 10-inch ovenproof skillet, such as a cast iron skillet. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes until it is a light golden brown color.

5. Remove the turkey leg meat from the bone and shred it into bite-sized pieces. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat 1 egg and 2 cups of chicken broth, then add the turkey. Mix and pour into the skillet over top of the cornbread.

6. Return the stuffing mixture to the oven and bake for another 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Resources

• Turkey Dressing Recipes