How to make your holiday dinners easier with slowcooker dressing! Learn how to cook delicious, hassle-free dressing in the slow-cooker and enjoy a stress-free meal.
How to make slowcooker dressing
Stuffing (or dressing) is one of my favorite holiday foods. My early efforts weren't terribly successful though. I like it moist, not dry. It was moist if it was cooked in the bird, but now "they" say not to make stuffing inside the turkey.
But dressing from a casserole dish is so dry and crunchy. I resorted to prepackaged stuffing-on-the-stove for several years. Now that I'm eating "real food" as much as possible, I've given up The Box.
Which left me with a dilemma: how to make moist dressing in a safe manner.
Why you shouldn't make stuffing inside the turkey
Actually, the reason we're encouraged to not make stuffing inside the turkey is because it doesn't get hot enough to kill bacteria.
If you insist on making "stuffing" instead of "dressing" (which technically is what this is, because it's not "stuffed" inside the bird), you should remove the stuffing from the turkey and put it in a casserole dish at the end of the turkey's cooking time and bring it up to a safe temperature before consuming.
The problem with this extra step is that the turkey is ready and the stuffing isn't.
So the choices seemed to be slim, until I found this delicious slow-cooker stuffing.
I discovered this slow-cooker dressing recipe several years ago and adore it. I can't remember where I found it though, it's been so long... and I've changed it over the years to fit my family's tastes.
And speaking of individual tastes, you can leave out the mushrooms if you wish... it will still be delicious!
Using a slow-cooker ensures that the stuffing will be moist and delicious!
Another bonus: it doesn't require room in your oven, or a pan on top of the stove. There are never enough burners or oven space in the kitchen for all the goodies we want on our holiday table, are there?
Or enough pots and pans, for that matter. When I was a child, our next-door neighbor always brought her pies over to bake at our house, because we had a double oven and we didn't make desserts because my father was diabetic.
Using a slow cooker (this Hamilton Beach 8-quart Crock-pot from Amazon is what I have) also gives you more space in the kitchen on a very hectic day.
And once you have the vegetables chopped (which I do the day before), it's very quick and easy to prepare.
Just plan ahead, because it takes six hours to cook - every one of which is worth it!
Slowcooker dressing recipe
1 cup butter
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups of sliced mushrooms, or 2 8-ounce cans sliced mushrooms, drained
12 cups day old bread cubes
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
In a heavy skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, celery, parsley, and mushrooms, and cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the seasonings and mix well.
Put twelve cups of bread cubes in a large bowl. My bowl is really large, which is good because twelve cups of bread cubes is a lot!
Pour the vegetable/seasoning mixture over the bread cubes and toss it all very well.
Pour in enough broth to moisten and toss it all with a fork.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Spoon the mixture lightly into your slow cooker. Don't pack it in or the stuffing will be sticky and heavy. The best dressing is moist and tender, but not dense.
Cover your slow cooker and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
If you like crunchier dressing, cook it closer to eight hours so the bottom will be more crusty and crunchy. If you like a texture that's reminiscent of stuffing-in-the-bird, six hours will probably make you happier.
While the dressing is cooking away on the counter top, your oven and burners are available to cook the rest of your holiday dinner, and you won't have to bake your pies in your neighbor's oven.
Dig in and enjoy! This is so delicious; I hope you will love it as much as my family does.
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