Each month in Well Stocked, our staff shares unfussy recipe ideas that you can call upon any day of the week. Because yes, our editors love to cook, but sometimes we need to get dinner on the table 12 minutes ago. That’s when we look to pantry and fridge staples that can quickly morph into delicious meals. This month, it’s all about boxed stuffing. Few Thanksgiving dishes inspire as many strong opinions as stuffing slash dressing.
In a baking dish or the bird itself? Sourdough or white bread? Fresh herbs or dried? Sausage or nah? There are the purists, who insist on drying their own bread, chopping aromatics, and seasoning everything from scratch. Then there are the Stove Top loyalists, who grew up on that unmistakable red box and remain fiercely faithful. Site director Rachel Tepper Paley is firmly in the latter camp.
“My late father considered boxed Stove Top the Platonic ideal of stuffing, so I grew up with the uber-savory stuff on every Thanksgiving table,” she says. “We continue to serve it every year in his honor.”
And then there’s a particularly reee the box as a pantry staple, not just a holiday shortcut. Our editors happen to be among them
Read on for all the ways they’re thinking
Read on for all the ways they’re thinking outside the box. One-pan schmaltzy chicken
The first time I tried my colleague Jesse Szewczyk’s Schmaltzy Chicken and Stuffing Skillet in the Test Kitchen, I immediately started plotting all the occasions I could make it: Friendsgiving, a random Tuesday, football Sunday, date night. Its deliciousness caught me off guard. Jesse sears chicken thighs until golden and crisp, then uses the schmaltzy drippings (a.k.a liquid gold) to season the boxed stuffing.
Dotted with sweet-tart cranberry gems, then baked with the chicken nestled back in, it’s basically Thanksgiving in one pan—and a recipe I plan to make well beyond November. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Breakfast baked eggs
When I find myself with instant stuffing, I like to make a baked eggs situation. I’ll make the stuffing according to the box’s directions in a shallow, oven-proof skillet.
With the heat on (so the stuffing continues to crisp), I’ll toss in some greens like kale or spinach until they’re just barely wilted. Then, I’ll use a spatula to make a couple divots throughout and crack an egg into each. From there, I’ll pop the skillet into a 375°F oven and bake until the whites are set, about 15 minutes. A drizzle of green hot sauce and some salty feta crumble or sliced avocado, and I’m ready to eat.
—Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor Magic meatballs
—Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor
Magic meatballs
The way I see it, boxed stuffing mix is really close to a box of well-seasoned breadcrumbs. So why not use it as a savory panade that transforms lean ground turkey into tender meatballs? Senior Test Kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk called this sheet-pan dinner Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs, but it honestly delivers all the flavors of Thanksgiving in one simple meal.
You’ve got creamy baby Yukon gold potatoes and snappy green beans, plus a dipping sauce made from another autumn pantry staple, canned cranberry sauce, with lemon and honey to serve alongside. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor
Stuffing-crusted cod
As a person who works in food media, I end up with my fair share of “what can I do with this?” ingredients. So while I firmly believe that no Thanksgiving dressing matters as much as my classic cornbread and biscuit version, I am no stranger to boxed stuffing.
Frequently, it becomes a crust for baked fish. I’ve used Anna Stockwell’s easy no-recipe-required crispy fish method dozens of times since it first published, and it never disappoints. Best of all, you can use whatever bits and bobs you have lying around to build out the meal, and it’s relatively hands-off. Wins all around. —Joe Sevier, senior editor, SEO & cooking
Weeknight sausage and kale pasta
For cozy season, there is nothing more comforting than carbs on carbs.
I’ve always loved pasta with breadcrumbs (every which way), but leave it to senior Test Kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk to make that classic combo even better: In this recipe, instead of using plain breadcrumbs or Italian seasoned ones, he swaps in stuffing mix blitzed in the food processor. Brilliant. It’s a highly flavorful topping for pasta with sausage and kale, a total delight for a cold night.
—Emma Laperruque, cooking director
Source: www.bonappetit.com
