STUFFING TIPS II

Now that you are ready to make your stuffing, how do you decide how much you need?

If you can estimate that each person is going to eat about 3/4 cup of stuffing.

If you plan on stuffing your bird, don't worry if it will all fit. If you stuff the Turkey/Chicken and find that you have some left over, just place it into a casserole dish and bake alongside the bird.

If plan on baking the stuffing in a casserole instead of in the bird you will want to adjust the liquid in your recipe. If you place stuffing in a bird, it will absorb the juices making a moister stuffing. If you bake it in the baking dish you will not have that extra flavor nor moisture.

If you do place the stuffing inside your bird, don't pack it in too tightly. The stuffing will expand as it bakes and you don't want it to explode outside your bird.

When checking the temperature of your bird to see if it is done, don't forget to check your stuffing temperature also. The stuffing has to be at least 165º to kill any bacteria that might be present.