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Stuffing Balls

Cubed white bread moistened with egg and stock, mixed with buttery celery, onion and carrots, then baked into crisp, savory balls.

stuffingbreadthanksgivingside dishbaked
Illustration of Stuffing Balls
Illustration

Ingredients

  • 2 loaves store-bought white bread, cut into quarter-size cubes
  • 1 tbsp ground sage
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 or 2 eggs
  • 16 to 24 oz chicken stock, turkey stock or vegetable stock
  • celery, sliced
  • white onion, diced
  • carrots
  • 1 tbsp butter

Steps

1The night before: stale the bread

  1. Cut 2 loaves of store-bought white bread into quarter-size cubes.
  2. Place the cubes in a large mixing bowl with a single paper towel covering them.
  3. In the morning, toss the cubes and cover them again with the paper towel until you are ready to make the stuffing.

2Cook the vegetables

  1. Slice the carrots.
  2. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
  3. Add the carrots and start them cooking.
  4. Once the carrots have started cooking, add the celery.
  5. When the celery is soft, add the onion.
  6. Move the vegetables around the pan over medium heat until they are soft.
  7. Add 1 tsp table salt while they cook.
  8. Add 1 tsp ground pepper while they cook.

3Deglaze the pan

  1. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
  2. Deglaze the skillet with a little of the stock and work up the brown bits.
  3. Turn off the heat and allow the pan drippings to cool.

4Mix the stuffing

  1. Beat 1 or 2 eggs.
  2. Pour the eggs over the bread cubes.
  3. Add the cooked onion.
  4. Add the cooked celery.
  5. Add 1 tbsp ground sage.
  6. Add the deglazed pan drippings.
  7. Slowly add in about half the remaining stock, from the 16 to 24 oz total.
  8. Thoroughly wash your hands.
  9. Mix everything together with both hands, tossing but not squeezing.

5Shape and bake

  1. Bring out two cookie sheets.
  2. Mold the mixture into balls larger than a golf ball but smaller than a baseball.
  3. Gently compact them just so they hold their form.
  4. Space them out on the sheets.
  5. Bake immediately for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees, if your oven keeps a true temperature.