Someone asked the other day about my mother's bread and potato stuffing so I thought I would make some so that I could share the recipe. I think bread and potato is a very unique Maritime provinces/New England kind of thing.
I have never seen it done anywhere else, but I could be wrong. This is the stuffing that I grew up with. My mother always made it to go with our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey's. Those were the only times during the year that we would have a turkey dinner.
Having a turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas is not so much of a big deal here in Canada as there is pretty much 2 and some months between both holidays. I totally get why in America they usually have something else for their Christmas dinner, with there being literally less than a month in between the two holidays.
I dare say I wouldn't want to be eating a turkey (with all its leftovers) again so soon either.
This year for our own Thanksgiving my son made the old-fashioned bread stuffing, which got cooked inside the turkey, and my sister made mom's bread and potato stuffing. That way everyone was happy, and those of us who enjoy both were really happy!
This is the stuffing that we had in our home all of my growing up years. It is made from using potatoes, onions, celery, and breadcrumbs, some butter, summer savory, sage, and a healthy pinch of the poultry seasoning.I usually make my own poultry seasoning. You can find a recipe for that here. It's really good if I don't say so myself. I always keep a jar of it in my cupboard.
My ex-MIL also made bread and potato stuffing, except hers used fine dry breadcrumbs and mashed potatoes in equal measures. She was from Prince Edward Island, so I guess that must be how they make theirs there. It is also very good. You can find that recipe here.
Stuffing, to me, is always the best part of the holiday dinner. I could sit down and eat a whole plate of stuffing and nothing else at all. There is just something very moreish about it!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MOM'S BREAD & POTATO STUFFING
Very simple everyday ingredients. There is nothing out of the ordinary here. This is a recipe which has been handed down from generation to generation and our ancestors were simple cooks.
- 5 TBS butter
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 1 large stalk celery, trimmed and diced
- 1 TBS celery leaves, chopped
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered (you want to use one which is good for mashing)
- 180ml warm milk (3/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 tsp bells (or poultry) seasoning
- 1/2 tsp summer savory
- 1/2 tsp crumbled sage
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 355g coarse breadcrumbs from a sturdy loaf of white bread (6 cups)
Summer Savory is a very Maritime ingredient. It is grown right here in the Maritime provinces and can sometimes be quite difficult to find anywhere else. It is often compared to marjoram or thyme. Summer savory has a spicy aroma and pungent, peppery flavor that's milder and less penetrating than its cousin, winter savory. It's a key ingredient in classic herb blends like bouquet garni and fines herbes.If you cannot find summer savory, you can substitute it with marjoram or thyme (or a mix of the two) or winter savory.
You can use any kind of bread in this, although I would not use anything like a Brioche. It should be day old, or stale. Today I used leftover French Sandwich Pain au Lait bread from what I had made the other day. It worked wonderfully.
I just cut off all the crusts and then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. It worked really well.
If you want, you can just use leftover mashed potatoes. Mom always did. You will need about 1 1/2 cups.
HOW TO MAKE MOM'S BREAD & POTATO STUFFING
It's really very easy. Really.
- Place the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook until fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion. Cook, over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent without browning. Stir in the celery and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove from heat.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Shake over the heat of the burner to dry them out a bit. Mash together with the warmed milk. Stir in the butter, onion, celery and celery leaves.
- Add the seasonings and breadcrumbs, mixing all well together. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Cool completely and use to stuff a turkey. Alternately pile into a buttered baking dish and bake alongside the turkey for the last half hour of bake time.
I have never really cooked this inside the bird. Neither did my mom, nor my grandmother. It was always cooked in a casserole dish outside the bird. Mom always used raw onion, but I like to cook it a bit first. Mom did not always use celery.
I like the addition of celery and I like to use some of the leaves for even more flavor.
If you are using leftover mashed potato, don't use leftover mash that has had things like sour cream and the like added to them. Just plain old, mashed potatoes will suffice!
If the mixture seems a bit dry you can add a bit of chicken stock. I never really have to. You don't want this to be soggy, or too moist.
I really, really enjoyed this, even though it's not Thanksgiving at the moment and there is not a turkey in sight.
I fulfilled all of my childhood fantasies and had a bowl of this for my supper and nothing else at all. It was quite delicious if I don't say so myself!
Yield: 4 - 6Author: Marie Rayner
Mom's Bread and Potato Stuffing
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 MinThis is the stuffing of my childhood. It would not be the holidays without it.Ingredients
- 5 TBS butter
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 1 large stalk celery, trimmed and diced
- 1 TBS celery leaves, chopped
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered (you want to use one which is good for mashing)
- 180ml warm milk (3/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 tsp bells (or poultry) seasoning
- 1/2 tsp summer savory
- 1/2 tsp crumbled sage
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 355g coarse breadcrumbs from a sturdy loaf of white bread (6 cups)
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook until fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion. Cook, over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent without browning. Stir in the celery and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove from heat.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Shake over the heat of the burner to dry them out a bit. Mash together with the warmed milk. Stir in the butter, onion, celery and celery leaves.
- Add the seasonings and breadcrumbs, mixing all well together. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Cool completely and use to stuff a turkey. Alternately pile into a buttered baking dish and bake alongside the turkey for the last half hour of bake time.
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