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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Column: Get stuffed

Whether it’s friends, family, home-cooked food, a successful year, IU basketball or a week of vacation, there are plenty of things to be thankful for at the Thanksgiving table.

No meal can compare to the colorful dishes that complete the table during the Thanksgiving holiday, accentuating everyone’s gratitude with warm food and good vibes.

My favorite dish is one full of flavor to complete the feast — stuffing.

While there are only so many ways you can cook a turkey or mash up potatoes, stuffing is where creative inventions can be put to the test.

With a whole week off this year, it’s time to create a festive dish to be devoured during Thanksgiving dinner.

Whether you prefer sweet instead of salty or spicy more than subtle, try one of these rich recipes. 

Experiment with different starches such as rice, oatmeal, potatoes and bread.

Next, select your favorite mix-ins such as sausage, goat cheese, pears or zucchini.

For a sweeter side dish, add brown sugar, candied nuts or caramelized onions. For an herby taste, you can’t go wrong with fresh rosemary, thyme or sage.

With a little extra creativity and a touch of TLC, these thanks-worthy stuffings will even make you grateful for the following food coma.

Happy Thanksgiving.

1. Cornbread and caramelized onion stuffing

Use six servings of cornbread, two onions and a few twigs of rosemary. Over medium heat, stir in a stick of melted butter, a cup of chicken stock and an egg. Shake in a tablespoon of salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

2. Apple and cranberry stuffing

For a fruity addition to your festive meal, try this recipe with chopped apples, cranberries and onions. Cut sourdough bread into cubes until you have reached 10 cups. Heat one cup of butter, a cup of celery and a cup of chopped sweet onions in a skillet. Stir in three cups of diced apples and one cup of dried cranberries. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Sweet Challah stuffing

Use this traditional braided bread to make for an extra tasty combination. Tear one loaf of challah bread. Heat two sticks of butter, stir in three tablespoons of honey and a cup of dried raisins before adding the challah. For an extra crunch, try adding in a cup of chopped up walnuts or pecans.

4. Pumpkin stuffing

Combine everyone’s favorite ingredients and make a stuffing as perfect as pumpkin pie. To make this dish, use half a loaf of torn white bread, a quarter cup of chopped thyme and sage, a cup of diced sweet onions and two cups of diced pumpkin. Cut a medium pumpkin in half and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until tender at 400 degrees. Mix the prepared pumpkin, sage, rosemary, bread and sweet onions over heated butter, one cup of chicken stock and one tablespoon of sugar. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 35 minutes or until golden.

5. Apricot stuffing

Cut a loaf of your favorite bread into chunks and mix with one cup of chopped leeks, one cup of diced apples and one cup of dried apricots. Add some toasted hazelnuts and mix with one cup of chicken stock, one half cup melted butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake in a pan for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

­— espitzer@indiana.edu

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