stuffing

Save room for stuffing! Photo: Maggie Hoffman, Flickr

Stuffing might seem like a daunting task, but it can also be super-easy, even if you're not using the help of Stove Top. It just needs a little time, and if possible, a couple sets of helpful hands to make things easy-breezy. Stuffing, which is just dressing stuffed into a bird, is simply a mixture of chopped and sauteed vegetables, some herbs, some meat/fruit/nuts, and chunks of bread. Each element is mixed together, maybe bound with a little egg, and then cooked to bready and succulent perfection.

Three classic recipes that you can bite into:

Sausage Bread Stuffing: This is a classic sausage and veggies stuffing that's great to get the kids working on, between ripping up the bread and then digging the hands into the bowl to turn that disparate mess into a squeezed-like-PlayDough consistency perfect for stuffing.

Oyster-Cornbread Stuffing: This tasty mix can be found from the tables of New England to the feasts of the South -- especially when you use bourbon to amp up flavor.

Vegetarian Stuffing: When you have to make side meals for the vegetarians, easy is best. This recipe requires just a little sauteeing, a little mixing, and throwing it in the oven for 45 minutes.