A quick and easy stuffing recipe to serve alongside your Thanksgiving turkey! To get “stale” bread, cube or crumble your bread and spread on a baking sheet to dry out at room temperature, uncovered, for 24 hours or pop in a 300 degree oven for 30-60 minutes. Makes 5-6 cups of stuffing.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4-5 stalks celery, chopped, (about 1 cup)
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
• ¼ C chopped parsley
• 1 C chicken broth (or water)
• 4 C cubed stale bread (we like to use a mix of regular bread and cornbread)
• 2 dozen shucked oysters, with their liquor (about a pint)
• ¼ C chopped scallions
• 1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 11 baking dish and set aside.
2. Drain oysters, reserving liquor and set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, thyme, and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 5-10 minutes).
4. Add bay leaves, garlic, and parsley. Cook about 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
5. Add broth or water and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat. Mixture should still have a fair amount of liquid left.
6. In a large bowl, combine the bread, oysters, scallions, cheese and vegetable mixture. Pouring through a fine strainer (to get any sand or shell), add in the reserved oyster liquor and stir until well combined. If bread is still dry, add broth or water a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
7. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30-40 minutes. Remove the bay leaves before serving.