By michael vivar
The star of most Thanksgiving meals in the United States is turkey. As anyone on stage and screen will attest, a star is nothing without a good supporting cast. One might say stuffing is the co-star of the holiday table.
The traditional starch bases for Thanksgiving stuffing are either baguette or cornbread. This results in a side dish that's dense and may spoil guests' appetites for other food on offer.
Croissant-based stuffing is airy and flaky yet rich and addictively flavorful. Try this simple croissant stuffing recipe that will make your Thanksgiving shine.
10 small croissants, 1 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup equal parts fresh thyme, sage and rosemary, 1/2 cup chopped celery and onion, 1 Tbsp butter, 6 cloves garlic chopped.
Tear croissants into bite-sized pieces and let them sit out overnight to dry and stiffen. Don't dry them before tearing or they will crumble and be unusable.
On a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and cook celery and onion until softened. Stir continually to prevent it from burning. In the last 30 seconds of stirring, add garlic. Remove from heat and put aside.
Whisk together the eggs, broth, cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and seasoning in a large bowl. When they're completely combined, stir in the vegetable mixture. Pour everything over the croissants.
Now is when you decide whether to use this recipe as stuffing, where the dish cooks in the turkey or as a dressing, cooking and serving the side separately.
This recipe will stuff a 13-pound turkey. It can be scaled up or down as needed. Make sure the gizzard isn't in the turkey cavity. Scoop the stuffing mixture into the cavity and it will be fully cooked with the bird.
Spoon the dressing mixture into a baking dish then bake in an oven at 350 F for 35 minutes. Let cool for five minutes and serve.
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